


Heart of Glass

by FactualUnity



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cinder adopted by Summer, Family, Fluff, Gen, Huntress Cinder, Mistral - Freeform, Sadness, Trauma, volume 2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:49:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 54,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28227186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FactualUnity/pseuds/FactualUnity
Summary: In Another time, another life, Cinder was found by Summer after her breaking point; introducing her to a new, loving family. Ten years later, she is offered a teaching spot in Beacon by Ozpin, and Cinder is forced to reconnect with her sisters.
Relationships: Cinder Fall & Ruby Rose, Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos, Qrow Branwen & Cinder Fall, Yang Xiao Long & Cinder Fall
Comments: 52
Kudos: 116





	1. Glass and Booze

The City of Mistral had meant many things to different people. Some considered it the most beautiful, some the most peaceful, some the safest, or the most cultured. It was all of those surely, but Cinder did not care about that. All that mattered was that it was neither Atlas, nor Vale.

She slid the door open to her apartment. It was a traditional building with the classic mistralian architecture, set in the upper districts of the city. It had a great view, was quite spacious and had more than enough for the lone woman. All it was missing was a butler, but he was not that well off yet.

She had paid for it all herself; by being almost killed by Grimm and Bandits countless times. The harder the mission, the better the pay; and she made sure to do them all perfectly. No chances, no mistakes, no loose ends.

She sat down on a couch near a window that gave way to a balcony overlooking the city. She loved looking at it, she felt on top of the world and yet, she had so much left to do to get where she wanted to be.

She looked at her scroll, it was still early in the night. She could go get a drink or some food in a fancy restaurant, yet she felt incredibly tired from dealing with the bureaucracy involved with official missions. They paid well and safely, but it also required reports and proofs and many documents.

No. She would order food and enjoy the quiet. There was a fantastic place that made a Sushi, a dish made traditionally in anima, and certainly delicious. The last thing she needed for her evening was some good wine...

* * *

The delivery boy had come and gone on time, but just, and thus got no tips from her. No one got anything for free.

After setting the table for one, she dug into her meal. Taking one of the pieces in her mouth, she heard her Scroll ring, before quickly hanging up. It rang again, and she hanged again. The third time she just let it ring until it got to voice mail.

It went silent after a while, and did not ring again. Smiling with satisfaction, she again tried to eat before being disturbed once again.

Three knocks on her door. She looked at it in confusion. A knock again. It seemed that disturbances would keep coming until she faced them head on.

Gritting her teeth slightly, ready to tear into whomever dared disturb her, she strode to the door. She slid it open, air inhaled for a long rant, until she saw who was behind it.

Grey hair, black and green clothes, sporting a Cane.

“Is this a bad time?” He asked with a dry voice to the frozen huntress.

“Yes.” She answered after a while, voice laced with anger.

“Perfect.” He answered, stepping in. She went out of his way, glaring daggers at his back.

She slid the door closed while watching the Headmaster of Beacon, who was supposed to be a whole continent away, take a look around her apartment like an art connoisseur.

“Quite ostentatious.” He said. She did not know where it was a compliment or not, what with his voice being so even all the time. She decided to take the most likely interpretation.

“I earned this, old man.” She said, almost spitting the words.

“Oh, you clearly do, I’m actually quite proud.” He said, getting near her table. “May I take a seat?” He asked. Cinder took a deep breath. She had anger problems, got irritated easily, but had been taught how to let it go with breaths and meditation. It worked… at times. Others, well, she could always go kill some Grimm.

She took a breath to steady her voice and face.

“Please, go ahead.” She said, gesturing to a chair that had remained undisturbed from under the table for a long time.

“Thank you.” He said. He took his seat, but said nothing further. Cinder decided to ignore him and go back to her food, but it was hard when she could see him looking at her with a pleasant smile. He was judging her, she was sure.

“What?” She asked after a while. “What do you need?” She said, angry again.

“Can’t I just check on one of the best graduates from Beacon from time to time?” He asked. She gripped her chopsticks.

“I don’t need your pity. Not in beacon, not before, and not now.” She growled. At this, he frowned back, all his pleasantness gone.

“You must understand, Miss…” He said, waiting for her to give her name; her last name.

“Just Cinder.” She replied coldly.

“Not yet, huh?” He asked, smiling once again. Cinder had no last name to give. She was fine with that, it was what she deserved.

“No.” She replied, trying her hardest to get this conversation over.

“Like I was saying; due to your particular situation when you entered beacon, all teachers and caretakers where all concerned for you. That’s why I’m so glad you are doing well.” He said. She remembered it all. The questions of wether she was alright, the slightly better and more patient treatment, the invasive councilors. It all made her feel weak, and at the same time, undeserving of it. Like many things in her life.

“Still, I doubt you came only for that.” She said, crossing her arms. Ozpin smiled again.

“Sharp as ever I see.” He said, adjusting his glasses. “I have an offer.”

“No.” She replied almost instantly, almost as if on instinct.

“You haven’t heard me out.” He said, his voice now serious.

“I already did, many times. I’m not joining your little shadow group.” She said, leaning over the table, slamming her hands with just enough force to prove her point.

“Oh, that. No, nothing like that. It’s something else.” He said.

“Hmm?” She was just confused enough, and in the middle of eating, to answer anything.

“I want you to teach at Beacon. One of our combat instructors retired, remember Old Man Ishinn?” he asked. She nodded. Cinder remembered him, a balding, tall and lanky man from Anima. He was an expert swordsman, and extremely wise if a little eccentric. He also looked so decrepit she had feared any day he would pass away. Many students called him ‘Gramps’.

“Yeah, it will be next to impossible to replace him. However, he did praise you a lot. I don’t expect you to succeed him, but your skills are testament.” He replied.

“But that’s not reason enough to teach. I’m not good with brats.” She countered.

“They are not brats, they are young adults with aspirations. Maybe they’ll be hard to deal with, but you also were an excellent leader for your team.” He said. Cinder looked away. “Former team.” He corrected himself.

“Yeah, well, I had to get rough a few times with them. Guess they couldn’t stand me.” She said. She blocked those memories from Beacon, like so many others.

“I understand. Still, I’d say you are quite qualified. Also, this year is shaping up to be quite extraordinary, along with the Vytal festival, and having the ‘Ember of Mistral’ on board would help with everything. The pay, of course, will be on par with the school’s prestige.” He answered. _This year._ That phrase lingered in her mind. This year was special, a special person kept mentioning it. She could never forget that, since she had annoyed her many times in their time together.

“Hey, This is her year, isn’t it? Did Yang pass the entrance exams” She asked him, changing the topic suddenly. Ozpin smiled.

“With flying colors.” He replied, seemingly satisfied with that result.

“Of course she did.” She replied, mouth twitching upwards. She was glad the blonde girl had put all that work and dedication and gone closer to her dream, despite everything. Cinder knew she always burned the brightest.

“Another reason for you to go to Vale, you reminded me.” he said. Cinder looked at him, arching an eyebrow.

“To see Yang?” She asked.

“Yang, Ruby, Tai. Your family. It’s been many years, now I don’t keep in touch with Tai much, but Qrow did mention you don’t write.” He said.

“Was he drunk?” She asked with a sigh.

“He was.” He said. Cinder sighed deeper, leaning her head into her hand. Her adoptive family, _second_ adoptive family that actually turned out to be decent people. Especially...

“I don’t know if I’m ready for that.” She said.

“Well, I think it would do you some good. The students need a semi famous figure, we need region variety, and you need to get out of these very _fine_ hole.” He said, gesturing around him. Cinder glared at the man, almost wanting to set him on fire.

“No offense. But I seriously want you to consider it. If anything, you’ll get a good pay without having to fight as much as you do.” He said.

“You done?” She asked. She was tired, so tired. Her eyelids were falling over.

“Yes. I’ll be in Mistral for a few days, so give me a call when you decide what to do. Enjoy your dinner, Miss Cinder.” he said. Without another word, he got up and left, his footsteps echoing trough the empty apartment and hallways. She, once again, felt so alone. With a sigh, Cinder decided she now needed a drink.

* * *

She sat in a popular Bar she went to occasionally. The drinks were good, and the service even better, yet the company not so much. Sometimes it was good to have a partner for the night, it made her feel good and confident about herself, but most of the time it was annoying; mostly because she was trying to drink and lose herself in her own mind.

That’s why tonight she took extra precautions and went on the top floor, in a table far away from the bar and the people. She enjoyed their so-called Monkey Booze, which was apparently made with fermented fruits in a tree trunk, or something like that. It burned in her throat, but she loved it. It made her feel alive.

“Enjoying your drink kid? I go for whiskey myself.” Said a voice in front of her. Cinder cursed internally, looking up from her red tinted drink to see a lanky man with red eyes and raven black hair. Where had he even come from, she did not know, but was not surprised. He was an expert on that.

“Hey, Drunkle Qrow.” She said. She tried to sound funny, but her voice came off as tired,

“Drunkle. You know, that nickname will go down in history thanks to you.” He said, sipping some more of his beverage.

“So, you also in the ‘Let’s annoy Cinder’ committee?” She asked, glaring at him. The older man sighed.

“I worry about you kid. We all do. And we miss you. Thought this could be a good opportunity for you to come around.” He said with sadness in his voice. She hated that. She should be herself, live her life, and others should accept her choices.

“Well, I can’t. Deal with it.” She said.

“Don’t be like that. I’m not trying to pressure you, in fact, I’m glad you managed to get your own life and actually like what you have going here. I only wish you would visit sometimes, for Ruby’s sake.” he said. Cinder cursed again before gulping more of her drink. Her throat burned, and she wondered why it was that Qrow was always so understanding and adult, like he had been after _she_ rescued her. He was someone she could talk to, and he would keep his mouth shut about it.

“I just… I don’t know. I don’t want to intrude in their life anymore. After Summer, and the Raven incident, they need each other, all three of them. Their family. I will only hold them back.” She said finally. Despite how welcoming they had been, she still felt like an outcast. An intruder. She did not belong anywhere, and after killing those horrible people that had adopted her, she stopped believing in happy families.

“I know how that feels.” He said, gulping down the last of the drink he had.

Cinder said nothing, and after a moment of silence, Qrow stood up.

“Well, whatever you do, I have your back kid. It was nice seeing you again. Also…” He said, pulling out his scroll and pressing his finger a few times. A message popped up in her own, a video.

“Happy birthday.” He said before leaving. Cinder watched the man disappear into the bar below, saying something nice to a waitress. She held her scroll. The preview of the video had Ruby’s face in it. Her cheery little step sister. Deep in her heart, she missed her profoundly. Her optimism, her bubbliness, her hyperactivity. It was so endearing, even if it annoyed her.

At times, she considered that, maybe, leaving her team and her pseudo family a mistake. They had treated her so well, despite some arguments with Yang. Yet, she also felt delicate there. Weak, cared for, and she did not need that. Did not need to feel _broken._ And they reminded her of that, that she needed to be rescued; even if they did not know that.

Still, with force of will, she pressed the ‘play’ button.

‘ _Heyyyy Cinder!’_ Sang Ruby _. ‘Super sis, It’s another year for you, and even tough you don’t write and only send memes in the family chat, we still think about you. Don’t think for a second I forgot your birthday…’_

‘ _Uh, you DID forget it’_ Said another voice. Ruby looked away, embarrassed.

‘ _I did not!’ She yelled back. ‘If I did, why did I ask you, today, if it was her birthday?’_ She asked. Suddenly, a flash of Yellow entered the screen, with lilac eyes and a cocky smile. Ruby had been forcefully shoved away as the camera shook.

‘ _Hey Hot-stuff. Happy Birthday! We made you cake, and if you actually texted your address, we could send it to you. But since we can’t, you’ll have to settle for a video song.’_ She said, happy as ever, teasing her. The blonde suddenly looked back and signaled to someone to come forth. From behind her, she saw the hulking man named Taiyang Xiao Long with a big cake with some red frosting.

‘ _Hey Cinder. Happy Birthday. We love you, kid; and we’re proud of you, wherever you are. All of us.’_ he said, He obviously meant Summer. Cinder felt a tear form in her left eye, but forcefully pushed it down.

Yang began to fumble with the camera, before she finally settled it and sat in the couch she recognized was in the living room. The cake was in the table, and both Yang and Ruby sandwiched their father in the middle. The three of them began singing the birthday song, and even told her to make a wish before blowing the candles out.

‘ _So, now we eat the cake. Sorry.’_ Said Ruby with a sheepish smile, now in front of the camera. The girl went silent for a moment, looking away from the lens. _‘I miss you. I hope one day, maybe next year you’ll be here…’_ She began to say.

‘ _Ruby.’_ Growled Yang from outside the shot.

‘ _Sorry.’_ Said Ruby, looking at her sister before looking back at the scroll.

‘… _if you want to come that is. Otherwise, it’s fine. Maybe I can visit you.’ S_ he said. With a pause, she looked at the camera with a loving gaze that Cinder had only seen ten years ago. The smile and silver eyes that saved her. _‘Goodbye Sis’_ With that, the video ended.

Cinder was at a loss for words. They truly wanted her back, not for slavery, or abuse, or need, but because they missed her. They even made her something. No, this was not new. This had always been there, but she ignored it, choosing to focus on being a huntress to run away from her pain; all so she could be proud of herself, to gain some modicum of strength to finally stand on her own and be free.

But… even so…

‘ _Cinder. If you face your problems like this, eventually, running away is all you’ll ever do’_ She heard Rhodes’ voice in her head. She remembered her old teacher, how heartbroken he was upon learning about what she had done. She tried to look for him, but the man had disappeared, apparently broken up with regret about what she had done.

She didn’t want that, she didn’t want that at all. She did not want to make them sad, like she was made to by the Madame. She owed that much to Summer.

Gripping her scroll, with her hand shaking and her neck burning, she made a call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ever since V8E6 I've been thinking a lot about a Cinder AU. I saw a few and since I'm impatient for updates I decided I'll take a shot. I just want Cinder to be happy and I mean 'You are a fine human being and not a broken mass murderer' Happy. Comments to improve my writing are appreciated.


	2. Beacon of Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cinder arrives at Beacon; and the sisters meet.

The second semester in Beacon was starting, and considering how hectic the first one was, Ruby Rose was extremely exited.

So much in fact, that anything that wasn’t Combat Class, Weapon Building & Maintenance or Lunch bored her to sleep. How could anything compare to taking on the White Fang and Roman Torchwick with her awesome team?

The bell rang, and she rushed to the door with her semblance, bathing the students on her way in rose petals. However, the moment she materialized in front of the exit, the green haired and hyperactive Professor Oobleck called to her.

“Miss Rose! There are still a few seconds of class!” He said, looking at a watch in his hand. Ruby looked at her scroll, the clock was just one minute off it’s mark.

Groaning, Ruby turned back to walk towards her seat as some students snickered. She blushed at the attention she gathered, but luckily the bell rang.

“Okay, Class dismissed!” Said the professor so quickly that it was almost unintelligible. The room burst into several loud sounds as students left, talked and moved their stools around. Smiling, Ruby once again turned to leave, before being stopped, again.

“Except for you Miss Rose! Come forward please.” Said the teacher while accommodating his own belonging like a blur.

A hand went to her shoulder, her sister Yang smiling at her like a devil. “See you outside, Sis. Maybe cut down the cookies next time.”

“Never.” She replied. She saw Blake, Weiss and JNPR follow Yang to the exit, all giving her a multitude of looks ranging from disapproval, to slight pity to barely contained amusement. Groaning once again, she walked to the front of the classroom where the professor was.

Beacon was an old school, and while it was modernized on a regular basis, some of the old structures remained and fused with the new. It was notable with the classrooms themselves, some where more traditional with rows of desks looking up to one of the walls of the box shaped chamber where the chalkboard and professors where; while others were more like an auditorium with elevated desks and a center spot where all could see the professors teaching on a hard light board.

Oobleck’s classroom was modern, representing his more eccentric and scientific disposition.

“Sorry, professor.” The green haired man didn’t stop at any moment with his organizing.

“While your enthusiasm is something to behold, you need to learn to be patient and not rush everywhere, Miss Rose. Both you and your sister have that problem, and could get you in danger. That’s why I'm assigning you a history paper about just that.” He said. She did not mind the assignment, she actually quite liked history, probably because it was so similar to reading old stories about heroes and huntsmen.

“Okay.” She said.

“Good, And keep in mind what I said.” He replied, handing her a paper that had his assignment on it.

“Now, I must go. A new teacher is coming and we, as the Senior faculty, must make them feel welcome. See you next class!” he said, before grabbing his briefcase and coat and dashing out of the room at a speed Ruby found comparable to her semblance.

Arching an eyebrow at the news, Ruby went to grab her bag and rejoin her team. Along the way, she thought about what Oobleck told her. A new teacher, a new face, a new awesome hunter to meet. It excited her.

* * *

Stepping outside, she saw the gray hallways of Beacon coated with the light from outside. It was quite the sight, since every single one was decorated by a window or skylight that made the stone halls vibrant and allowed one to see the green from the yards.

Her team was waiting on a bench, and as usual, Weiss was visibly impatient.

“You.” She said, standing up.

“Hey, best buddy.” She said with a sheepish smile.

“Don’t best buddy me. One of these days, you’re gonna get detention. You have to focus, and be more disciplined.” She said. She knew Weiss wanted the best for her, and had actually gotten much more gentle with her advice, but the heiress was still very easily angered.

“I know. It’s just that after everything last semester, nothing seems as exciting anymore.” She complained. At this, Blake was the one to speak up. She still wore her bow, and she still looked cute with it, even if Ruby liked her cat ears more.

“It feels crazy, after your first missions, to return to ‘normal’ affairs. Believe me, I could barely contain my drive to do keep doing more, but you have to control your eagerness, or others could easily use that to overwork you.” Said Blake.

“Are you saying that because…?” She started to ask, but Blake finished for her.

“The White Fang, yes.”

“Okay girls. Mama Yang is hungry. Shall we go eat. I heard they had fish.” Said Yang, and at that Ruby could see Blake smile and her bow twitch a little. It was cute.

“I second that.” Said Ruby, raising a hand.

“Ruby, you are team leader, Just say the word and we have to do it.” Said Weiss, arms crossed.

“But I said I wanted a democracy.” Ruby whined.

“I don’t know, Ruby. I kinda wanna see what a dictatorship with you at the helm looks like.” Said Yang, arms behind her head.

The group continued walking the halls to the cafeteria, engaging in meaningless banter. The hallways were packed these days, and Ruby started to feel uncomfortable, but that feeling was lessened when she saw that Blake was like her. She didn’t like the ‘Misery likes company’ effect, but it at least made her closer to her Faunus teammate.

“Oh, guys, I almost forgot.” Said Ruby suddenly.

“Please tell me it’s not an assignment.” Said Weiss.

“No, no. It was something else, a new teacher is coming. Professor Oobleck told me.” Said the red reaper.

“A new teacher? In the middle of the year?” Asked Blake. “I hope nothing happened.”

“I heard that old fart Isshin is retiring. Good riddance.” Said Yang, unusually spiteful.

“You’re just angry he absolutely defeated you; and actually gave you some pointers so that you could get better.” Said Weiss.

“Yeah, well, I don’t need that. I’m perfectly fine, and he doesn’t even use gauntlets.” Said Yang.

“He was just trying to help you, Yang. It’s not bad to change or alter styles.” Said Blake with a soft voice. Ruby loved when she did that, sounded almost like a mom.

“Well, mine is almost perfect, so…” Said Yang. At that moment, Ruby looked away from Yang. Her sister was stubborn at times, and about certain topics like her fighting style she could get very confrontational. Especially with her even older sister, or more like step sister, Cinder. She had left for Mistral as soon as she graduated, and without letting Yang have a spar wth her, which affected her older sister. Yang was unusually angry for a few months, and her stubbornness had skyrocketed since then.

Among the crows, Ruby saw a flash of pure black hair, but she dismissed it as just a memory of Cinder. But when she blinked, she saw that hair again, and the distinctive tallness that accompanied her. She froze as the world stood still for her. Her sister was back.

Her moment was interrupted when a student bumped into her and scattered some papers around.

“I’m sorry, so sorry.” Apologized a wolf fauns, quickly grabbing the papers before darting off. Ruby ignored him, refocusing on the spot she had seen Cinder, but the woman was gone.

“Ruby?” Asked a voice, grabbing her shoulder. She turned to look at Yang as the world once again moved. “You okay?”

“Yes. I thought I saw…” She began to say, pointing to a cross intersection in the hallways. Along the many scurrying students, she once again detected the hair a distance away. She had to know for sure. She took off without a hitch, leaving her team behind.

“Ruby!” Yelled Yang. The brawler followed her. Behind the two sisters, Blake and Weiss looked at each other before following their teammates.

* * *

Ruby darted from in between students, not caring wether they were talking, making out or holding important papers. All that mattered was figuring out if her sister had really come.

She saw the black hair disappear behind a corner, and followed it to find it rounding another corner, going down some stairs. This pattern repeated a few times, and tired of dodging students, Ruby activated her semblance and dashed to the black haired person.

Reaching in front of it, she was met with a male student almost twice as tall as her. She guessed it was a fourth or third year. He looked at her with extreme confusion; and was in a defensive position. She looked at him, disappointed before blushing and apologizing.

The student shook his head with annoyance before going about his business. Ruby was left in the empty hallway, alone and dejected.

“Ruby!” She heard from behind her. She turned around and saw Yang come around a corner, breathing heavily and glaring. “What’s going on?” She asked.

Ruby looked down, eyes strained. “I thought I saw Cinder.” She said. Yang’s gaze softened at the mention of their step sister.

“Ruby…” Yang said, kneeling near her level before she heard a group of footsteps behind her. Blake and Weiss entered the scene, the former not even winded and the latter panting and leaning on her knees.

“What… is the point… of making me run… like this… on a Friday!” Asked the heiress between breaths, clearly irritated. At her display, Yang laughed.

“Geez, Weiss cream. You melt too easily for a huntress” She said, teasing the white haired girl.

“Dodging students is not easy.” She growled, glaring daggers at the brawler.

“Sorry guys.” Ruby said, turning the attention back to her. “I thought I saw somebody. Let’s just go get a bite.” She said, unusually down.

“You sure Ruby?” Asked Blake. Yang smiled. Her partner was opening up a little. Looking behind Ruby, Yang froze.

“Yeah. Some fish actually sounds good.” Before she could start walking again. Yang hit her arm with the back of her hand. “Okay, we’ll get you some spicy Tofu, Yang.” Ruby said, but the girl repeated her motion.

“What?” Ruby asked in annoyance, looking at the brawler who stood beside her, looking forwards. The older sister, never shifting her gaze, grabbed Ruby’s head and turned her around.

A few meters in front of her, in the middle of the now more clear hallway, stood Professor Glynda Goodwitch along with a huntress. Clad in a black vest and pants; all under a red and gold jacket like the ones in Martial Arts movies was her black haired step sister, amber eyes shining like two embers.

“SUPER SIS!” She screamed, darting forward like a bullet made of rose petals. Cinder turned around, just in time to see the rose tornado but too late to move out of the way.

“Wai-wai-wait!” She yelled, wiggling her hands in front of her in a useless attempt to prevent the girl from tackling her.

The rose impacted, sending both girls to the floor with a bone crushing sound. Tucked under her little sister’s heavy embrace, Cinder could only ask one thing.

“Why…”

* * *

“I’m so glad you’re here! I can’t believe it!” Ruby said, hugging her step sister and sweeping her cheek on her abdomen.

“And I can’t believe you tackled me.” Said Cinder, voice hoarse from the weight atop her. Out of the corner of her eye, Cinder saw Yang looking at both of them, a smile on her face. She reached a hand out.

“Help…” She pleaded. The older’s sister smile grew, before retreating out of her vision. Then, she came barreling towards them, jumping into the air.

“Cannon ball!” She said, elbow dropping both sisters.

The Red Reaper and Ember of Mistral groaned in pain as Yang joined their hug. It would feel nice, if she weren't being completely crushed. Suddenly, the three sisters were lifted into the air, before being put on their feet, yet Ruby refused to let go of her sister.

“You two are the worst. You can’t tackle a new teacher like that! You should be ashamed.” Said Glynda Goodwitch, a vein forming in her forehead. Looking at Ruby, she groaned. “Let go of her.”

“Nope.” Said Ruby, hugging her tight like a child.

“Ruby. Let go, please. You’re killing me.” Said Cinder. Pouting, the red reaper released her.

“I swear, every day your team is more and more trouble.” Said Glynda, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

“Why are you here anyways?” asked Cinder to her little sister.

“I got accepted.” Said Ruby. Cinder’s eyes widened.

“Two years early?” Cinder asked. She wondered if, for a time, she had lost track of the years.

“Yep. Preetty awesome right.” Said Ruby, beaming at her like she never before had.

“Yeah. Not even I got accepted that early.” Said Cinder. She felt some envy. Was her sister that good? Or was it... the silver eyes? Recognizing the feeling, she chastised herself for her selfishness.

“That’s incredible. Dad must be proud of you.”

“Oh, he was. But he was also, a little angry.” Said Ruby.

“I can see why.” Cinder was no stranger to Taiyang’s overprotectiveness. Even if she was a step sibling his wife had brought home one night, he still treated her like one of his own.

“So sis, what made you come around?” Asked Yang, hands on her hips. Cinder looked at her, every year she had gotten more prettier, and the way she dressed was bold and challenging. She felt something resembling pride, her sister taking on the world in her own style.

“Not you, I’m afraid.” She said with a smile. Yang was understandably confused at this.

“What? Then why are you here?” Asked Ruby, disappointment clear in her voice.

“Your sister…” Said Glynda.

“Step sister.” Corrected Cinder. Glynda looked at her with an arched eyebrow before continuing.

“... _Step_ sister is going to be replacing Mister Isshin as your Team Combat Instructor this year.” Explained Glynda.

“Wow. So you’re going to be teaching us?” Asked Yang.

“That’s awesome! You’re going to be the best teacher ever! It’ll be so cool!” Said Ruby, jumping in front of Yang with glee.

“We’ll see. Now, we need to sort things out with Cinder here, so please resume your previous activities.” Said Glynda, dismissing them in a polite manner.

“But…” Ruby protested, before Cinder kneeled in front of her. She was two heads taller than her, to the point the had to get on her tip toes to hug her once she had fully grown.

“We’ll talk later, Ruby.” Said Cinder, trying her best to smile.

“You just came back here.” Whined again the Reaper.

“Yes, that’s why we’ll talk, _later.”_ Said Cinder.

“Okay.” Said Ruby, relenting. At this, Yang snapped her fingers.

“How about you come to our dorm? Then we can all catch up.” Said Yang with a smile.

“Sounds good.” Said Cinder, standing up.

“Now get going.” Added Glynda. Both sisters nodded, waving at her as Team RWBY walked away. Cinder looked at them go. Her sisters had grown so much in the years since she graduated Beacon, she feared they would act like strangers, but those fears were crushed under Ruby’s weight. Even when walking away, the red reaper looked back at her.

“I’m not surprised, now that I think about it.” Said Glynda suddenly.

“What do you mean?” Asked Cinder.

“You and them being sisters. Make total sense.” Added the older woman.

“Strange. We’re not even related.” Said Cinder.

“Just because you are not linked by blood doesn’t mean you aren’t linked by soul, Miss Cinder. It’s clear to me now.” Said Glynda. Cinder felt uncomfortable talking about her bonds, not like she believed in magic or any of that mumbo jumbo.

“Didn’t know you were so sentimental.” Said Cinder with a half smile. Goodwitch glared at her.

“Just because I’m stern doesn’t mean I’m heartless. And in this line of work, you need some empathy, not only for your sake but for the students’ as well.” She added. Cinder sighed, the Combat Instructor had not changed a bit since her own time.

“Okay. So what’s next?” Asked Cinder.

“I need to introduce you to the new features of our combat rooms. After that, you’ll have the rest of the day to prepare you lessons.” Answered Glynda, beginning to walk ahead with her hands behind her back, exhibiting the authority and coldness she was used to.

“Lead the way.” She said.

* * *

After seeing the combat chambers where she would be teaching, Cinder was lead to a small section of Beacon that students ever really went to, which would be the teacher’s lounge in most schools. In this case, they were more like ‘teacher’s dorms’ since it contained various rooms for Beacon’s teachers so that they would not have to travel too much if they lived far from the school or had stayed after the bullheads stopped making runs. It was convenient for the huntress since she had come in a hurry and had not rented an apartment yet.

Both her and Glynda strode the halls of the building. It was, like many other places in Beacon, made of stone with some wood, giving it an ancient vibe.

“This will be your room.” She said opening the door. It was a room with very basic furnishings. Smooth stone floor, a carpet in the middle, a bed, a wood desk with a scroll monitor, a quite big window and a bookshelf.

“Use your scroll to enter. There is the monitor to connect it to if needed. The lesson plan will be sent to your scroll; how you approach it is up to you. Ozpin and I will be watching your progress. That’s all for now.” Said the woman, before bowing slightly and closing the door.

Cinder sighed. She had many complaints about her accommodations, starting with how barebones it was and the stale smell inside. She left her bag near the bed and opened the window. She had a lot to do. See the school curriculum, prepare some lessons, search for an apartment in Vale, and see her sisters.

She had not paid them much heed when she left for Mistral, and had not thought about returning during her whole stay. And now, the two sisters and step sister were back together, with the two sisters having grown up a lot. They were happy seeing her now, but that would not last. She was sure at least Yang was displeasured. And she did not want to deal with that. She did not understand, and getting anything trough her thick skull was hard. Very hard.

She shook her head before taking out her scroll and connecting it to the monitor. She had a lot to do, and work was work, even if it did not involve fighting. The curriculum had arrived in her mail, along with a message for Ruby telling her the location of their dorm.

Upon seeing the lesson plan, Cinder paled a little. It had not changed at all; Ozpin was still a monster who cranked in as many subjects for the first and seconds years as possible.

She would have to work all day. During it, awful memories of her time at the Glass Unicorn resurfaced every so often; and she would have to tell herself that no, this was different. This was better.

* * *

The day had passed relatively fast. Cinder had not only read the curriculum but also come up with physical exercises and trials in order to prepare students. While Goodwitch managed single combat and port managed Grimm combat, Cinder was left to teach about group combat. And while her team had been effective in their time, their interpersonal relationships were not as nice.

She decided to take the night off to visit her sisters. It was almost curfew, and teachers were not supposed to visit the student dorms unless it was an emergency. But _technically_ she still wasn’t on duty, so there was no harm done.

The student dorms had changed very little with the passing years, and eventually she reached the floor number Ruby had texted her. On her way up the stairs, she saw two students descending from the stairs adjacent to hers. When she saw them heading down the hall, she guessed they had been on the roof. Either horny teenagers or training. She wanted to believe it was training.

A redheaded girl dressed in traditional armor, and a blonde boy who wore little more than casual clothing with some steel padding. The latter looked extremely exhausted, and when their paths crossed he bumped into her.

“Hey, watch it.” She said with some irritation. She was too tired for being crashed into, but before she could storm off, Goodwitch’s word rang in her ears. Taking a calming breath, she quickly asked. “Are you alright? You look tired.” She said more softly.

“I’m fine.” Said the boy, eyes half closed.

“We were just doing some extra training, that’s all.” Said the red headed girl. Cinder smiled. They reminded her of her time at Beacon; when she would train tirelessly to become stronger than anyone else.

“That’s good. You need to be the best you can be, and don’t settle for anything less.” She said, trying to sound like a wise teacher.

“Nice.” Said the boy, still half asleep.

“Yeah, but we may have overdone it this time.” She said, putting one of the boy’s arm around her neck to support him. “Sorry about that Miss. We’ll get going.” She said, guiding her partner towards the direction Cinder was also headed to.

When the girl noticed that the older woman was heading in their same direction, she fixed her with a cautious stare. The girl was sharp, she recognized strength; was good at reading opponents.

“Are you a new student?” She asked. Cinder smiled.

“Actually, I’m the new teacher.” She answered.

“You’re replacing Master Isshin?” Asked the girl.

“That’s right.”

“Wow. You do look strong enough to be on his level. I can’t wait.” Said the girl with a smile. “So what bring you here then?” She continued, stopping at the door to her dorm. Coincidentally, Cinder also had arrived at her destination.

“I’m here to see my step sisters.” Answered Cinder. The girl looked at her, perplexed, before leaving the boy leaning against a wall. He seemed more awake now.

“You’re a sister to Blake?” She asked.

“Blake?” Asked Cinder in return.

“Oh. Since you have similar eye and hair color, I thought…” Said the girl, cheeks tinted with pink.

“Then…” The red head brought a hand to her chin, before her eyes opened wide like saucers. “Ruby and Yang?” She asked.

“Bingo.” Said Cinder dryly. Yes, she knew she looked nothing like them. It was apparent every day.

“Wow. Then, it’s an honor.” She said, bowing slightly.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s cool. So you’re their teammate?” Asked Cinder.

“Friend, I guess. My partner here…” She said, gesturing to the boy, who noticed it and smiled at her half heartedly. “… Is best friends with Ruby, and our teams spar at times.”

“Glad they are surrounded by strong company then.” Said Cinder.

“Yeah, strong.” Said the boy. Cinder raised an eyebrow. His clothes denoted some… deficiencies, but the woman guessed her evaluation of him could wait until tomorrow’s class.

“Oh, my manners. I’m Phyrra Nikos. You probably heard of me.” She said, tone somewhat solemn. Cinder’s eye widened a bit.

“Oh, it’s you. The Invincible Girl.” She said. Cinder had heard of her. So strong at a young age. The only thing the Mistral champion needed to succeed was experience. The older woman felt envy pool in her chest, but pushed it down. “Good going getting into Beacon.”

“Thanks.” Said Phyrra.

“Guess we’ll see what you are really made of tomorrow.” Said Cinder. The opportunity to fight her was tempting, and had she been younger she would have insisted much more on a spar, but now she was a teacher and had to put those desires aside.

“I hope I impress you.” She said.

“I’m Jaune. Jaune Arc.” Said the boy, suddenly getting into the conversation.

“Cinder. Just Cinder. No miss, but Master is welcome.” Said the older woman.

“Wait… Cinder.” Said Jaune, before having some sort of epiphany. “You’re the ‘Ember of Mistral’!” he yelled. Both women looked at him like he had another head.

“You know her?” Asked Phyrra with bewilderment.

“Yeah. She’s like, a really badass huntress. Burns Grimm to a crisp and stuff. She’s not ‘you’ famous but, I’m a big fan.” Said the boy, looking at her with sparkling eyes. Cinder did not know what to say; she never did have fans, nor knew they existed. But it filled her with some satisfaction.

“Well, glad to see my reputation precedes me.” She said. “Now, I have some people to meet so I’ll have to leave you.” Said Cinder. Jaune seemed deflated at her dismissal, but if he did he said nothing.

“Nice to meet you then, Cinder. I can’t wait for your class.” Said Phyrra, once again bowing.

“Same to you. Better rest for your class, otherwise you might die.” Said Cinder, tone completely serious. Jaune paled, but the red head only arched an eyebrow.

“I’m kidding.” Said Cinder, her attempt at humor failing utterly.

“Oh. Hehe.” Said Jaune. Great, things were awkward now. Luckily the red head saved her.

“Well. We have to rest now, so see you later.” Said Phyrra, opening her dorm room and dragging Jaune inside.

“Want your autograph!” he said loudly before the door slammed shut. Cinder shook her head before turning around. No more delays.

Three knocks. Nothing. Three more, now voices whispered behind the door.

For a while nothing happened, and then the door creaked open a little, letting a single silver eye peek trough.

“Password.” Said a flat, monotone voice. Cinder sighed.

“Whatever.” She answered.

“Hmm. You may pass.” Said Ruby before opening the door and revealing their entire room to her. Yang was behind her, shaking her head with a smile. A girl in white, and another in Black stared at her from their respective beds. It was then that she noticed the accommodations.

“Are those beds… tied to the roof?” She asked.

“They’re bunk beds!” Announced Ruby, dragging Cinder inside before shutting the door.

“Seriously. I’m not home for a few years and you two already do this?” Asked Cinder, sitting on the floor.

“You gotta admit it’s awesome.” Said Yang, sitting in one of them, moving around to prove it’s stability.

“That it is.” Said Cinder, before looking at the two other girls. “And you two are.” She asked.

The black haired girl, who was reading a book, looked up from her fiction and addressed her first.

“Blake Belladona. A pleasure.” She said curtly.

“Oh come on Blakey! You gotta introduce yourself a bit more!” Said yang, leaning head down to look at her partner.

“I’m… really good at stealth.” She whimpered.

“I guessed as much from your outfit. You’ll make a fine huntress.” Said Cinder, trying her best to be friendly. She could see that behind Blake’s introverted exterior she was a formidable fighter in her own style; but not every fight was favorable to that.

“Thanks.” Said Blake. Next was the white haired girl, who looked like a noble.

“I’m Weiss Schnee. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Said the girl. She was a noble. An Atlas noble.

“Schnee.” Repeated Cinder.

“Indeed. Got a problem?” Asked Weiss, danger in her voice. The older woman decided it was not the time for confrontations, yet she couldn’t resist jabbing at her.

“Not at all. But usually, Atlesians stick to their little city in the skies. What made you come here?” She asked.

“To be the best huntress I can be. Understanding every aspect of life, and being as strong as I can be, is crucial to my role as heiress.” She said, posture openly challenging her.

“Wow. You’re quite driven. I like that.” Said Cinder. She was pleasantly surprised that this girl wasn’t as stuck up as other Atlesians at first glance. Yet, disgust still pooled in her stomach.

“Thanks, miss…”

“Cinder.”

“Cinder… Xiao Long? Rose?” Asked Weiss. Cinder looked away.

“Just Cinder.” Replied the woman. Weiss looked at her with suspicion.

“She’s adopted, kind of.” Said Yang from her bunk.

“Kind of?” Pressed Weiss.

“Yeah, mom came home with her one day. It was a crazy week.” Said Yang with a smile. Cinder remembered as well, though saying it was crazy was not making it justice. She had been in a daze the entire time, her thought processes scrambled to mush due to the sudden onset of care and love from a completely different family.

“So, Ruby…” Said Cinder, trying to divert the conversation. “Ozpin said this year is pretty crazy. Is that true?” She asked. Ruby beamed with excitement.

“Oh no…” Said Weiss, facepalming.

Only then did Cinder realize her mistake. Ruby went on a long rand about what the group had been up to. The White Fang, team JNPR, the initiation, Blake running away and reconciling. It had kept her on her toes for a time, and some part of her was happy that Ruby was enjoying her time here.

“… And then Yang hugged her, and she cried, and it was all so wholesome.” Ruby finished, gasping for air. Cinder smiled, looking at the cat faunus who hid her blush with her book.

“That’s cute.”

“And it’s only the first semester. Best six months of my life.” Said Ruby, plopping down on Weiss’ bed.

“I wonder if it may have been a little too much excitement.” Said Weiss.

“It’s certainly unusual. But don’t worry, when you are a huntress some danger is to be expected. So don’t go around letting your guard down.” Said Cinder. Then she added, “Besides, with me here you’ll be kicking ass in no time.”

“You’re quite overconfident, sis.” Said yang with a sly smile.

“I _am_ quite confident I’m my skills.” Said Cinder, completely serious.

“Wanna test it out? Not to brag, but I am one of the best of my year.” Said Yang looking at her nails in an obvious attempt to goad her.

“If you want me to school you, then sure. But maybe when I’m not being your teacher.”

“Aww, but that’s the best part. Humiliating you in front of all your students. Who wouldn’t want that?” Said Yang. Cinder had to admit, the risk of humiliation was thrilling, but she had to act mature.

“Maybe another time.” Said Cinder.

“How long are you staying sis?” Asked Ruby, sitting next to her and leaning on her left side. The contact made her flinch, but she said nothing.

“My contract lasts until the semester ends. After that, I don’t know. Guess I’ll go back to Mistral” Said Cinder.

“Aww come on sis! That’s lame! You should stay for a while. These years that RWBY is on campus will be the bomb, I guarantee it.” Said Yang.

“Sorry Yang, but I’ve gotta live my life. Hunt, earn money, train. And enjoy it as well.” Said Cinder. She could see her step sister glaring at her.

“What a life.” Said Yang, her voice now bitter. Cinder narrowed her eyes. She would not stand that, not now.

“Yang--” She began.

“It’s okay Cinder, Really. Do whatever you want.” Said yang, turning around to lean on her bed. The girl was clearly in no mood to talk more. Cinder wanted to get up to face her, but Ruby stopped her.

“We have six months. So let’s make them the best of our lives. What do you say?” Asked Ruby, with puppy eyes. Cinder deflated. She could not resist them. She could not resist her. Ruby was just too precious, too optimistic. It reminded her of… her unbroken self. Something she wanted to protect at any cost.

“Sure. But not tonight. I’m tired, and I have class tomorrow. As do you.” Said Cinder, standing up and stretching. Yang still did not move.

“Yeah, I’m pretty tired too. See you tomorrow then?” Asked Ruby.

“Sure. Maybe you’ll learn something from your big sister.” Said Cinder, ruffling her hair. Then, Ruby hugged her. It was tender, her head pressed into her bosom. Cinder did not know what to do.

“I missed you. A lot.” Said Ruby. The older woman smiled, patting her head before pushing her away carefully.

She bid goodbye to team RWBY, and left into the dark halls of Beacon.

* * *

If there was one thing Cinder liked about her Academy, was the open spaces. Away from the city of Vale, one could see the stars clearly along with the shattered moon.

Whenever Cinder gazed upon it, two memories would come to mind. The nightmarish midnight of her breaking point under the sound of a bell; and the pleasant talk she had with Summer before she left… forever. Both had brought her to tears many times, but now she just let the memories flow free. It was liberating at times.

“Ah… Look who’s here. The new teacher.” Said a slightly creaked voice. Looking at her side, she saw an old man; thin as a twig, twice as tall as her, wearing white robes in the style of Anima.

“Master Isshin.” She said. The man smiled.

“I’m afraid I’ve rescinded that title, but I like that at least someone respects their elders.” Said he, walking near the bench she was sitting on.

“Hmm. And gave it to me?” She asked.

“No. It’s gotta be earned. But I’ve got no doubts you are more than capable.” He said.

“Thanks.” Said Cinder, looking at the moon once again. “So what are you doing here?”

“Feeling nostalgic. I’ve been in this school almost as long as Ozpin. It’s sad to let her go.” he said.

“Yeah. It’s hard to let go.” Said Cinder.

“But well. Life moves forward, the new replaces the old. That’s how it goes.” he said.

“You still act like a teacher.” She said. He laughed at that, quite loudly for his age.

“Yeah. I’m now totally an old fart.” he said, looking at the moon with more chuckles. They were both silent for a while, staring at the celestial body high up in the sky.

“The moon is close. This year is certainly going to be strange.” He said ominously. Cinder looked at him with suspicion.

“And why is that?” She asked,

“Gut feeling. You should prepare yourself, and your students, for the worst; because no one else will.” He said. Cinder’s gaze hardened.

“Is that what you did?” She said, remembering the man’s hellish training regimen.

“I certainly tried.” He said, looking at her directly. There was… something in his eyes. Hard like steel, skin stretched as if holding something back.

“Remember Cinder, hesitation is defeat. You’d do well to not forget.” He said, before turning around and leaving towards the cliffs were Beacon ended; without saying another word. Cinder looked up at the sky once again.

She had not hesitated that night; so, why did she still break?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So yeah, not very experienced writing the RWBY characters, so bear with me. Yes, this story will have some Ocs in antagonist positions. Since Cinder is not the villain anymore, so gaps need to be closed. Luckily, only one is required, so I’ll try to make it’s existence brief.
> 
> And yes, Isshin is ripped from Sekiro; because I love the badass gramps archetype. He won't be in the story much. He's just another teacher apart from the, like, five we have which to me is ridiculous since Beacon is supposed to house many students.


	3. Summer Embers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang and Ruby come to terms with their sister teaching at Beacon.

Cinder awoke to a sound in the night. Immediately she dropped to the floor, intent on not letting the Madame discover she was sleeping on a bed. As she hit the floor she realized where she was. Not atlas, not Mistral; but Patch in the coast of Vale.

She sighed with relief before hugging herself at the edge of the bed. She had been staying with this new family for a few months now. The matron Summer Rose was a huntress, and she had rescued her. Why, she did not know, and that scared her. She expected every single day to awake to a new life of servitude, on the woman or the father cashing on the favor of giving her food and shelter.

That day still had not come. Miss Summer and Mister Taiyang treated her like a princess, and the two other girls constantly pestered her. Yang always wanted to explore patch despite the dangers, asked Cinder questions like ‘were did you come from’, ‘what’s your favorite food’, ‘Want that video game we saw at the store?’

At least Summer and Taiyang let her go to a nearby combat academy were the hulking man taught. While she was a little over the normal age kids would start, she had enough training to at least not require to learn the basics. She did not speak with anyone at the academy, except for Yang. She did not trust those kids, and they sure did not mind treating her like a freak and stranger.

The girl looked at the window. It would be so easy to escape, just grab her sword, put her clothes on a bag and take a ferry to the mainland. Maybe make sure Rhodes was okay.

She heard another sounds downstairs. Perhaps Ruby was awake and looking for cookies. If so, disaster was abound, and Cinder was not going to get framed.

Exiting her room, she made sure no one else’s door was open, and then went down the hallway towards the stairs. The house made out of wood and logs was dark and silent. Cinder descended, peeking between the railing of the staircase into the much more spacious living room. Just in time, she caught the door being closed. She thought thieves, and so pulled out her sword.

Slightly crouched, toes first, arms close. The huntress in training crept out to the front door. She opened it without a sound, courtesy of when she would need to sneak out of her room towards the bathroom without alerting the madame or her daughters.

The porch was empty, the moon shining on the house like a beacon. It was beautiful, and being on it’s unbroken side made it look like a full disk of white light.

The girl looked around once more, and on the porch, she spotted Summer Rose; white cloak dripped over her head and sitting with her hands on top of he lap.

Despite how silent she had been, Summer had apparently heard her as she turned hear head.

The woman looked strange. Cinder knew that was not right. She always wore a smile on her face, full of energy and life; but could always become stern like steel when order was needed on the house.

However, this time she looked sad, old, tired. Under her precious Silver eyes she could see lines.

Still, the woman’s presence filled Cinder with calm, and so she stepped out, leaving her sword near the door.

“Cinder, sweetie, what’s wrong?” She asked. The tenderness felt forced, unlike every other time she had asked that question to the girl.

“I… I was just…” Cinder stuttered, somewhat afraid of being punished.

“Trouble sleeping?” Asked the woman.

“Yes.” Answered Cinder. Summer smiled, removing her hood and tapping a spot on the porch. She wanted Cinder to sit, and the girl obeyed. She left some space between them, not feeling comfortable being near anyone yet. Even hugs made her flinch.

“That sucks. It happens to me so often. I think so much stuff that it’s hard to keep still.” Said Summer.

“I actually heard sounds downstairs, and thought it might be Ruby.” Said Cinder, looking at the moon. Summer snickered, and the girl looked at her in bewilderment. Was she laughing at her? At her mistake?

“What?” She asked trough clenched teeth. Summer looked at her, still smiling. This one was genuine, and not malicious. Upon seeing it, Cinder felt herself relent.

“It’s just funny, that’s all. Ruby already looks so much like me. If she even acts like me, people will think she’s a clone or something.” Said Summer with a chuckle.

“I don’t get it. Wouldn’t that be bad?” Asked Cinder.

“Maybe. Everyone has good and bad traits. I wouldn’t want her to be like me tough. Not to that degree at least.” Said Summer, now calm. The older woman once again turned to the moon.

“Why not?” Asked Cinder. Summer was, in her opinion, amazing. She cooked some mean cookies, was one of the strongest huntsmen she’d ever met, maybe even better than Rhodes, and everyone seemed to love her unconditionally. It was almost too perfect, she envied her. Envied her life.

“Well… I’ve made some mistakes.” Said Summer. Cinder raised an eyebrow.

“So?” She asked. Even the girl knew everyone made mistakes.

“Some mistakes are bigger than others. And I’ve made some big ones.” Answered the woman, now somber. Her smile had faded, and her eyes looked strained once again.

“Like what?” Asked Cinder, now curious. Summer sighed.

“In Beacon, I wanted to be a superhero, after becoming a huntress. Someone who saves people.” She admitted. The girl opened her eyes, big as saucers.

“That’s… really lame.” She admitted. Superheroes weren’t real; hell, heroes weren’t that common nowadays. No one would save you for no gain. The Madame had adopted her, only to use her as a slave. Summer had saved her from being a criminal yet, she still waited for the catch.

Summer looked at the black haired teenager, blushing.

“Yeah. It was lame. Maybe if I hadn’t tried so hard to be one; some people would still be here. I was stupid. I’m still stupid.” Admitted Summer. Cinder said nothing, she had never seen the woman so… distressed and self deprecating. It made her chest hurt.

“Well… I think you’re okay. Your family seems happy at least.” Said the girl. Summer opened her eyes, shocked. Then her expression softened into a warm smile.

“I’m glad to hear it.” Said Summer. “Hey, are you happy here?” She asked. This time, it was Cinder’s turn to be shocked.

“What?” She asked in reflex. She had… never heard those words before. No one cared what she felt, outside of the physical check ups during Rhodes’ training. But that was just something common when practicing combat.

“I just want to know. You don’t need to feel tied to this place, to us. You are free now, to do whatever you want to do.” She admitted. Cinder was stunned. Summer wanted her to… be free? Cinder opened her mouth to respond, but could not find the words. A part of her reached a realization. Summer wanted the best for her.

“Why?” She asked, standing up, glaring daggers at the woman who looked at her with an unreadable expression. “Why?! What do you want from me?!” She asked, hands balled into fists. Her sword was nearby. She was fast. She could make it.

“Nothing.” She replied after a minute. Cinder continued looking at her, eyes stinging. The huntress stood up, and came towards her slowly. The girl took a step back.

“You’re lying.” She whispered.

“You’re right. There is something I want.” She replied. Cinder was ready. Ready for the truth. She had waited for this moment.

“And that is?” She growled. Summer fixed her with an unreadable expression.

“I want you to be happy. All of you. No matter what, I want you to chose your paths, and help you whenever I can. I cannot be a superhero for the world but, maybe I can be a supermom for you. The moment I saw you, I knew you needed happiness and love. I knew I had to… give you that chance. Because you deserved it. And I think, I was right for once.” Summer said, kneeling to her level, smiling. She seemed genuinely happy, almost like when she was with her daughters or her husband.

The truth hit her like a brick wall. They had to be lies, a smokescreen hiding something else but… Cinder could see none of that in those silver eyes; only warmth and love. Like how Rhodes had looked at her. They both had cared for her, yet her mind refused to believe it. But having it told directly, made it impossible to do that.

Summer moved to embrace her, and Cinder stood there. She could not take it anymore. She let the tears spill as she returned the embrace of the woman. She did not know what love was, but if this was it then, she wanted more if it. She realized then that this hug was no different from Yang’s and Ruby’s. Did they also love her? Why?

Before she could process anything else, Summer separated, wiping some tears from the teenager’s face with a smile.

“I want to stay…” She mumbled. Summer was shocked for a moment, but soon smiled again.

“Of course. No matter what, we’ll always be here for you.” She said. “Now go get some sleep.” She said.

“You’re not coming?” Asked Cinder. Summer’s smile disappeared as she stood up.

“No. I have to leave for tonight.” She said. Cinder knew why, or so she thought.

“A mission?” She asked. Summer nodded.

“A very important one.” She said, looking away. Cinder had learned it was common for people to look away when lying.

“Be careful.” She said.

“Of course. I’ll be back by morning.” She said, smiling. Then the woman pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and darted into the night, disappearing in blurs of white.

Cinder was left alone in the porch, the moon still illuminating her spot. Looking back at the house, she thought about the three other members of the family.

Where they happy? Cinder, for once, hoped so. It was a strange feeling but not unpleasant. The world may be full of Madame’s and Evil stepsisters, of Orphanages and abusers. She hated them. She hated the world that gave her nothing. Yet, maybe, some hope remained. How many Summers where there? Where they treated well? Or did all of them suffer because they wanted to be ‘superheroes’?

There were many questions in her mind, but for once she felt at ease in this place. She could go to sleep without fear, knowing that Pleasant memories awaited on the waking world. Summer had confirmed that much. But she would not go to sleep yet. She would wait for Summer, to first greet her. To see her smile again.

…

…

…

_She never came back._

_She left you; she knew you were worthless._

* * *

Cinder woke, face on her pillow. Her eyes moved a bit, adjusting to the lack of light. She looked at her bedside clock. It was still night, but in a few hours she would need to be awake for class. Two weeks had passed already since arriving at Beacon, and giving classes was not easy. Especially when dealing with teenagers in groups that all head strengths and weaknesses.

She rolled over, facing the ceiling and covering her eyes with an arm. Her mind brought Summer to the forefront. She missed the woman. They had only spent a few months together before she went away; but she had left a good impression on her.

She thought about her step sisters. They had changed a lot since she first met them. Especially Yang. She did not know how to feel about that.

Eventually she went back to sleep; and she dreamt of nothing else.

* * *

“Alright! That’s enough.” Said Cinder. On her command, several holographic Grimm vanished from the training room, leaving four students exhausted and beaten. The huntress looked at her scroll, which displayed the auras of the teens. They were all in the red. At least they fell together at roughly the same time. Even so, she felt her anger bubble.

“This isn’t satisfactory. This isn’t satisfactory at all. You have ignored all the tactics I taught you, fought in a completely disorganized manner, and did not even try to help each other. You may as well not have come to class.” She said harshly, stepping into her ‘classroom’, which was a big hexagonal. A quarter of it had some student desks for lessons, while the other housed screens for displaying lessons; very similar to what Glynda Goodwitch had.

The failing team looked at her, clearly embarrassed. The huntress sighed, dispersing her anger before dismissing the teens. They returned to the desks while the rest of the students watched. Then, Cinder proceeded to address the class.

“You must learn to work together, as a unit, as one; before you are ready to take on the Grimm alone. Every one of you must be as strong as each other. I will not tolerate people who hold others back.” Said Cinder. She grabbed a pad that had the teams on a list, ordered randomly. When she saw what team was next, she rubbed the ridge of her nose.

“Next up, Team RWBY.” She announced. On the back, she saw Yang and Ruby celebrate while their teammates deadpanned. Her two sisters had gotten into the habit of letting her know, every class, how happy they were she was here.

The team descended into the stadium. Each one of them looked absolutely sure of themselves in different increments. Ruby was the most sheepish, followed by Blake who seemed neutral, then Weiss who stood proud and then Yang who appeared nonchalant.

“You’ve had a preview of your exercise, so I hope you can do a better job than the others. The objective is to hold your ground, together. Grimm are very prone to horde tactics and overwhelming force, so you must learn to manage that. First with your team, then on your own. Clear?” She asked them, giving them a cold and stern stare.

“No worries Sis. We’ve got this one in the bag.” Said Yang with confidence. Cinder was glad she had the strength to back that claim, but her casual attitude towards her was irritating.

“Refer to me as Professor Cinder, Xiao Long. Now get in position.” Said Cinder, going to her desk and letting team RWBY settle on the arena.

“Someone’s moody. Guess she’s _burned out_.” Said Yang, trying to get a laugh of her teammates and failing. Cinder narrowed her eyes.

“Ready?” Announced Cinder, tapping her scroll to prepare the trial. Team RWBY drew their weapons.

“Begin!”

* * *

Ruby was ready. It was her moment to prove to her ‘Super Sis’ how strong she was; along with her team. She liked her classes, although she still felt some insecurity on her leadership, knowing Cinder was teaching her assured her that no matter what she would turn out okay.

And in the worst case, she could rely on Jaune later. The boy was in the same situation as her, and both swore to have each other’s backs as leaders of their respective teams. She knew he was watching her, and hoped he would do as well as her in his own exercise.

A siren blared, and the arena seemed to activate as various Grimm spawned around her team. Boarbatusks in front, Beowolves behind. Easy.

“Yang!” She yelled. Her sister readied ‘Ember Celica’ and charged forwards, engaging the charging holographic Grimm head on with extreme effectiveness. She looked at Blake, and with a simple glance the Faunus followed behind Yang, using her weapon and semblance to distract the Boarbatusks that tried to attack the brawler from the sides.

“Weiss, cover me!” She told the heiress. The white haired girl, however, decided to complain.

“I’m not just a support, Ruby!” She complained.

“Pretty please?” Ruby asked her witch puppy eyes. Weiss sighed, then nodded. Ruby then turned her weapon into it’s rifle form and began to tear into the beowolves coming from behind. If one got too close, then Weiss would engage them with her glyphs, freezing or burning them.

Hordes of Beowolves and Boartusks fell, their numbers increasing each subsequent wave. After four consecutive waves it was obvious the Grimm stood no chance as Team RWBY took them on. Yet, the simulation still had some surprises for them.

While Ruby was about to snipe another Beowulf, she was suddenly swept up into the air by a black figure.

“Wh-What!?” She shrieked as she was thrown into the air and slammed repeatedly against. Her aura took some hits as she was juggled trough the air. She could see her attackers, Griffons. She swung her scythe in the air while using her semblance to try and reposition, but the monsters had much better mobility. She could not distract Weiss. She had deal with the Griffons herself to reunite with her.

“Ruby!” Weiss shouted, pushing back a bunch of Beowolves with gravity glyphs before using some more as platforms to leap trough the air. She then used more of her glyphs to dash and slice trough the Griffons, even tough the aerial Grimm had better mobility than her. She destroyed the one holding Ruby and allowed the girl to land on a platform.

She felt herself tire from overusing her semblance, and that moment of distraction was enough for the Grimm to get a hit on her, knocking her off the air towards the ground.

“Weiss!” Ruby screamed, using her semblance to dash towards her friend, enveloping her in a blob of rose petals that had a white one join it. Both girls barreled to the ground, rolling for a bit after their landing. The red reaper ended up on top of the heiress, extremely close to her.

“Got you!” She said with a smile. She saw Weiss blush.

“Get off me!” She said, pushing her teammate away. Before they could recover, a Griffon once again attacked the girls. As it’s claws were about to reach them, the hologram was ensnared by a black whip. Ruby capitalized on this and used her massive scythe to impale the beast as if it was a hammer. The Grimm was destroyed, and only Blake was left in view, panting heavily.

“Thanks Blakey.” She said, using Yang’s nickname. The Faunus deadpanned before smiling with resignation. Once again, the Griffons charged at them with a shriek.

“Weiss! Can you still fight?” She asked the heiress, who was crouching and heaving.

“I can keep going.” She said. Then she summoned a black glyph as the Griffons were near the ground and interrupted their charge. While they were momentarily stunned, Blake used Gambol Shroud to ensnare one and bring it to the ground in order for Ruby to finish it off. As the red reaper executed the captor, the other Griffon recovered and charged them. Ruby and Blake braced themselves, but then a yellow flash flew past them.

“Coming trough!” Yelled Yang, hair in flames, eyes red and fist reared back. She punched the Griffon on it’s beak, and instantly destroyed it with an impact that shook the entire arena.

Silence reigned as the girls breathed heavily; their respite was interrupted by a siren that indicated the end of the simulation. A big screen showed their auras. Ruby and Weiss were nearly in the red, while Blake was at half capacity and Yang at three fourths. Above their indicator, the word _Victory_ was displayed on green text.

Ruby watched Cinder approach them with an unreadable expression. She crossed her arms when she stood in front of them.

“So… how did we do?” She asked. Cinder fixed her with a glare.

“You survived. Barely.” She said, tone harsh. Ruby was immediately cast down, tough Yang seemed to want to have none of that.

“I think we did pretty well.” She argued.

“Not at all. The splitting jobs on the front was good.” She said, and Ruby regained some pride at the praise. “However, you still separated, allowing the Grimm to surprise you, and rendering you unable to ask for help. If not for you teammate here…” She explained, pointing to Blake. “… You would have died in a real situation. When on your own, you are too weak.” She said, looking at Ruby directly. The reaper averted her gaze.

“Hey! That’s not fair! We’re plenty strong.” Yang said.

“You are a formidable unit, but too easily separated. You focus too much on your own partners and not enough on the team as a whole; and it shows. You were perfectly fine leaving Rose and Schnee behind to engage the Boarbatusks.” Said Cinder, shifting her gaze to the brawler. The blonde glared daggers at the huntress.

“Because we trust each other!” Replied Yang, fist balled.

“That-That’s right. We’re confident in each other’s abilities.” Said Ruby, but her voice came as a whisper in front of her older sister.

“You can’t always rely on others. They might fail you.” Said Cinder.

“You can’t say that!” Said Yang.

“Don’t take that tone with me. Right now, I’m a teacher, you’re a student. Show me due respect, Xiao Long.” Cinder growled. Yang’s eyes were crimson, but the brawler did nothing more. The situation remained tense until the bell rang. Class was over.

Cinder left RWBY’s side to address the other students in the classroom.

“Work on your individual skills, ask your teammates what you lack so that you can improve those weaknesses when alone. And also, try to train with your non partners. You won’t be with them for ever.” Said Cinder, and she was met with nods and a few ‘Yes’.

“Good. Now remember, next class, we’ll learn about Hit and Run tactics. I’ll send you some material to your scrolls.” She said as the students started to leave for the locker rooms to change out of their combat uniforms.

Ruby saw Yang pick her bag and storm off, with Blake following close behind. Weiss then passed by her.

“Sorry, Weiss.” Said Ruby. The heiress looked at her with surprise.

“What?” Asked the white haired girl.

“I screwed up. I let myself be in danger, and you had to pull me out of the fire.” She said. She felt terrible. Weiss could have died trying to save her.

“You’re right. You did screw up.” Said Weiss, making Ruby flinch. “But you also saved me in return, so I guess we’re even. You’ll get better, that’s why we’re here, right?” Said Weiss with a small smile. Seeing the ‘Ice Queen’ being so warm made her feel like she was finally cracking her shell.

“You’re right. Thanks Weiss.” She said with a smile. She put Crescent Rose in compact form and was about to head with Weiss to the lockers when Jaune stopped her, waving at them to catch the attention of the two girls.

“Hey girls.” He said with a smile.

“Hey Jaune.” Said Ruby, while Weiss groaned.

“What do you want, Arc?” She asked with some disgust in her voice. The boy either didn’t notice or was undeterred.

“We’re going to the cafeteria. They say today’s menu is special. Wanna come?” He asked.

“Of course we do! We do it every day. You don’t need to ask.” Replied Weiss, crossing her arms.

“Of course, of course. Just force of habit. See you guys later then.” He said sheepishly, heading to the lockers. As he was about to open the door, he turned around to address the girls. “You guys were amazing, I think. Especially Weiss, those air maneuvers were… pretty sick.” He said with a blush before vanishing behind the door.

“I think Jaune has the hots for you.” said Ruby.

“You _think?!_ ” Asked Weiss, clearly annoyed.

“It’s cute.”

“He’s annoying. And no, I’m not talking more about this. Let’s go.” Said the heiress. Ruby knew better than to press her when she was irritated. The red reaper then looked back at the arena. Cinder was there, collecting some papers from her teacher desk. She loved her sister, but feared she was lonely. All she knew, from what Qrow told her, was that she lived alone in an apartment in Mistral. And that worried her. So she decided now was a good time to approach her.

“See you in a sec bestie.” Said Ruby, turning around to go towards Cinder. Weiss dismissed her with a wave.

Ruby trotted towards Cinder with a happy skip.

“Hey Super sis.” She said. Cinder turned around to address her.

“Hey Ruby. Class is over.” She answered.

“I’m here to see you.” She said. Cinder looked surprised and sheepish.

“I see.” She said. They stood awkwardly for a moment, the red reaper fearing her proposal would be rejected, but she gathered strength to speak up; like Yang taught her. Just let it out fast and directly.

“We’re going to Vale tomorrow. Don’t you wanna come with?” She asked quickly, expelling all air from her lungs without pause.

“Ruby, I can’t, I have papers to grade, prepare lessons, train.” Said Cinder.

“But Cinderrr! It’s been two weeks, and all you have done is work.” Whined Ruby.

“I’ve gone out many times, just not with you.” Said her sister.

“Even more reason! Don’t you want to spend time with your adorable sisters? We’d have so much fun. Vale is like, awesome. So many gun stores and arcades.” Said Ruby.

“I. Can’t” Said Cinder.

“But why?” She asked once again. The huntress turned around.

“Because.” She said. Ruby felt a pang of coldness on her chest. Her sister didn’t want to spend time with her, not anymore. It was evident when she left for Mistral with a few words, but now that she was here, with no distance to work as an excuse, Ruby could not deny it.

“Did… Did I do something wrong?” She asked, looking at the ground. She heard Cinder gasp, but it was small and almost undetectable.

“No!” Yelled Cinder. Ruby looked up, and saw her sister with a strange expression. One of sadness and fear that the woman seemed to push away the moment the red reaper looked at her.

“Then… why?” She asked once again.

“I…” Cinder seemed to stumble with her words. Ruby remembered when they were younger, and Cinder seemed to much more frail then. She still was ‘Super sis’, but much more adorable in a way.

“I know you’re too amazing for us but, we’re trying our best. Maybe if you hang out with us, some of you will rub off on us, don’t you think?” Ruby said, trying once again to convince her. Cinder looked away once again, face scrunched up as if ashamed of something.

“Alright. I’ll go. But don’t think I didn't want to because of you Ruby. It’s…” Said Cinder. Ruby looked at her with surprise.

“It’s…” Ruby asked, curiosity taking over.

“It’s just that, at times, I think you may be too amazing for someone like me.” Said Cinder. Ruby’s eyes opened like saucers. The sister she admired so much, thought she was amazing.

“Don’t let it go to your head.” Said Cinder, once again serious.

“Can I be the Super Sis now?” Asked Ruby with a smile. Cinder pushed her head back in a friendly gesture.

“Not a chance. You may be good, but I’ll always be one step ahead.” She said with a smirk of confidence.

“Maybe. Or maybe I’ll catch up to you.” Said the red reaper.

“Didn’t I just tell you to not let it go to your head?” Asked Cinder, going back for her teaching items. “Now go. Have fun with your friends, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Said her older sister.

“Yaaay!” Said Ruby, using her semblance to round Cinder before going towards the lockers.

Cinder sighed, but a small smile crept up her lips. She’d have postpone her shopping.

* * *

Team RWBY had joined team JNPR in the cafeteria, joining into their usual chatter about classes and training; however Yang was absent from the exchanges, poking at her food without much interest which was especially jarring for the brawler who was usually the soul of most conversations along with Nora. Weiss was the first to notice this, and decided to nip that problem in the bud.

“You okay there Yang?” She asked her.

“I’m fine, Weiss. Please, I’m not in the mood.” Said Yang.

“What’s wrong?” Asked Jaune, who had decided to step back from whatever fun argument Nora and Ruby were having about ‘Cookies vs Pancakes’.

“Nothing.” Hissed Yang.

“Doesn’t look like nothing.” He replied.

“Jaune. Not the time.” Said Weiss with a frown. The leader of JNPR raised his hands defensively.

“Sorry, I’m just concerned. I thought Yang was… you know… the soul of the party so to speak.” He said.

“People are allowed to feel different emotions, Arc.” Said Weiss with a harsh tone.

“I’m fine really. It’s just that, my sister’s here.” Said Yang. Jaune arched an eyebrow.

“Yeah, Ruby is right there.” He said, pointing his finger at the red reaper who beamed at them from the other side of the table.

“My _other_ sister.” Said Yang.

“You mean Professor Cinder?” Asked Jaune.

“How did you know?” Asked Yang.

“I talked to her when she first came. We ran into each other when she went to your dorm, I think. Why did you never tell us your sister was ‘The Ember of Mistral’?” Jaune asked.

“Yeah. Why?” Answered Weiss with arms crossed, looking at Yang with disapproval. The brawler glared at her for moment, eyes flashing red, before taking her tray and throwing it’s contents into a nearby trash bin.

“I’m going to punch some dummies. See you in class guys.” Said Yang with thumbs up before taking her leave. Jaune and Weiss looked at each other, then in the direction Yang left to, then back at each other.

“Maybe you should go after her.” Said the boy.

“Why? I’m not her partner. And if she doesn’t want to talk, then there’s no point in trying.” Said Weiss, going back to her food.

“Maybe you can at least calm her down, or something. You do have the habit of making people see reason.” Said Jaune, blushing slightly. Weiss sighed, he was right, which she didn’t want to recognize. The knight had many faults and was a bit too pushy with his advances, but was not malicious in nature.

“Alright. Excuse me then.” She said, wiping her face with a napkin and walking in the direction Yang had went off to, leaving her other two teammates with JNPR.

* * *

Weiss Schnee did not like sweating like a pig, especially during the middle of the day when she still had classes to attend to; but her teammate needed her and despite how boisterous and full of herself Yang was, she was invaluable to the team. She could not allow a single weak link to remain.

That’s why she ran after Yang, using her acceleration glyphs to catch up to her. Luckily she had not gone too far, and the heiress managed to catch up to the brawler in the central plaza of the school grounds.

She did not have to say anything, since apparently Yang heard her coming.

“Weiss cream? Did I do something wrong now?” She asked, genuinely confused.

“No, unless not being yourself counts as being wrong.” She answered.

“Oh. Sorry.” She replied with some sarcasm.

“It’s okay. I just want to talk.” She said, going to a nearby stone bench and tapping it so that Yang would take a seat.

The brawler eyed her with suspicion, before hesitantly sitting some distance from her.

“So, your sister told you something you didn’t wanna hear. For your own sake. Why is that a problem now?” Asked Weiss, getting to the point. Yang gritted her teeth, before letting out a breath.

“It’s not that Weiss. I doubt you understand.” Said Yang.

“But I do. I also have an older sister.” The brawler looked at her in surprise, and Weiss smiled. Blindsiding people brought her satisfaction like no other. “Her name is Winter. She left home as soon as she could enroll in the Atlas military, to avoid my father. Thus, I never see much of her, and when I do, I usually just want to show her how much better I am.” Weiss said.

“Wow. That’s… I’m sorry.” Said Yang, unusually somber.

“It’s okay. You’re not alone in this, Xiao Long. So… what is the problem with Cinder?” She asked once again. Yang looked at the ground before sighing.

“It’s just… Look. When I was young, Ruby’s mom, Summer, passed away. She was amazing. Huntress by day, supermom by night. But one day, she went on a mission and never returned.” Said Yang, her voice cracking slightly. Weiss gasped, but said nothing more; waiting for the blonde to continue. “When that happened, our family kinda fell apart. My Dad pretty much shut down, Uncle Qrow was never home; and Ruby was too young to understand everything, but still was devastated. She needed somebody to step up. I…” Said Yang, her fists balling and then releasing.

“It’s okay, Yang.” Said Weiss, trying to sound comforting.

“I know. I know.” Said Yang, taking a breath. “Cinder was distant when she first came home. We loved her of course, but she didn’t seem too happy. However, when Summer died, she was the only one that didn’t seem to collapse. She was sad, in fact, I think it’s the only time I saw her cry, but she picked herself up just like that. I thought she was amazing. That she was strong. So I decided to try and do the same. For Ruby.”

“Cinder and I would make our food together, train together, go to school together. She did everything with me, to keep our family afloat, even when she had to study. She was the only one who I could talk to; to be… vulnerable around.” Said Yang, her eyes glistening slightly.

“Yang…” Said Weiss, rubbing the brawler’s shoulder. She could not believe the amount of pain the blonde harbored. She felt guilty about some of their interactions in the past.

“And then, once our dad got back on his feet; and she entered Beacon, she bailed on us. No texts, no calls, no visits. Nothing. It’s like she said _‘Well, looks like_ _my work here is done_ _. Bye, bye, kiddo.’_ ” Said Yang, mocking Cinder’s voice. Weiss had to contain a chuckle. The first time Yang made her laugh, mostly because it reminded her of Klein.

“And now she’s back here, and acts like she doesn’t even know me!” Said Yang, hitting her leg with her fist.

“What if I still need her?!” The brawler asked. She almost looked like she was going to break down crying. The heiress mulled about what to say, yet no amount of thinking could get the perfect sentence to comfort her and show that she cared. Sighing, she decided to take a page from Ruby’s book and speak with her heart.

“Yang, she may have had a reason. A good reason. No decent person would abandon you.” Said Weiss, putting a hand on Yang’s shoulder.

“How do you know that?” She asked.

“I don’t, but believe me, I talk from experience.” She said. She truly didn’t know if Winter cared, she never asked but she had to tell herself that. For her own mental health. “Maybe you should ask her why.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I’m… not sure I’ll like the answer.” Said Yang. Weiss smirked, her chance to cheer her up.

“Didn’t take you for a coward miss Xiao Long.” Said the heiress. Yang looked at her, bewildered, before slightly punching her in the shoulder.

“Oww. What’s wrong with you!” She asked.

“Ice Queen can’t take a love tap?” Asked Yang, imitating her previous smirk.

“I know what love taps are. And that is not one.” She answered. Yang chuckled before settling down. Both girls remained in silence for a while. Weiss looked at Yang, the brawler seemed to be more sensitive than she imagined. She didn’t want to be like her father, like her mother who left their children on their own with no support. That must have been why Winter left. She was not going to allow it.

“Yang.” She said. The brawler’s attention was back on her.

“We’re your teammates. You can tell us about this stuff, if it bothers you.” She said.

“Sorry but... I gotta be strong for Ruby.” She said, shaking her head.

“Makes sense, but neither Blake nor I are Ruby. You can talk to us. I’m sure Blake is an excellent listener.” She said. Yang laughed.

“She sure is.” Said Yang. Weiss smiled, happy that she had managed to cheer the brawler up a little. The blonde then looked at Weiss, smiling, eyes narrowed and head tilted.

“Thanks Weiss cream.” She said. And with that, the moment was gone.

* * *

Roman Torchwick was not happy. Not happy at all. Why was he stuck with the useless goons that were the White Fang when he could perfectly hire some humans to do the job? He wouldn’t even have to split the profits that much.

Yet here he was, ordering around those degenerate Faunus.

“No… That one goes in the yellow container, you useless dolt!” He said into his scroll. “Alright, you know what? I’ll go there, and show you how it’s done. Yes! I’m sure!” he yelled into the scroll. He would have to step up the plan.

“Having trouble? For someone who prides himself on being a criminal mastermind, you sure can’t discipline some weaklings.” Said a voice behind him. The redheaded man turned around, towards a dark corner of his secret office in Vale. A shadowed figure stood there, leg’s crossed over a table.

“How the fuck do you do that?” He asked. That… woman always had a knack for getting behind his back. It made her unpredictable, and he hated it. While her contractor seemed more merciful, this woman’s essence reeked of death.

“A little secret. Now, are you having trouble?” She asked.

“Not at all.” He answered. He would call Neo, go to Mt Glenn, and get everything done.

“Good. Then, I guess our lady decided to reward you.” She said. Roman arched an eyebrow.

“How?” He asked.

“Two little helpers.” She said. Upon saying that, his phone rang. He answered it, and the man behind the call told him of two guests.

“How the f- yeah let them in.” he said finally. He knew better, besides, revenge could always wait for later.

Soon, two… _kids_ entered his office. A gray haired punk wearing a jumpsuit or something, and a green haired girl with red eyes.

“Mercury Black.” Announced the boy.

“Emerald Sustrai.” announced the girl.

“You’ve been trained well.” Said the woman, never leaving the shadows.

“Jeez, this place needs some more lightning.” Said mercury, looking around the darkened office.

“It’s mood lightning, punk.” He said, pointing his cane at him.

“Sure.” Said the boy, crossing his arms.

“Did you find the targets?” Asked the shadow woman.

“Silver eyes. Big scythe.” Said Mercury, throwing pictures onto the nearby desk. Roman knew her, that stupid little girl named Ruby Rose. She was a target, and he hoped he would be apple to partake in her death.

“And the other?”

“She just arrived two weeks ago. She seems fake, like trying too hard to be cool. Do we really need her?” Asked Emerald.

“Our mistress thinks she could be a valuable asset. She is weak willed, but her strength seems immense.” Said the shadow woman.

“So, what now?” Asked Mercury.

“First the girl. Take down the tower, lure her in, and our operative will take care of the rest.” She said. She then turned her body towards Roman.

“You make sure Mountain Glenn goes smoothly.” She said.

“A gentleman’s promise.” Said Torchwick with a small bow.

“And the woman?” Asked Emerald.

“When the time is right. For now, make sure she lives. But…” She said, looking at Roman. “… You may rough her up. Could be fun.” She said. Roman could not see her, but he felt she was smiling.

He did the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey guys! Finally did this chapter. I've never been so excited by an AU. Sadly, I still have a long way to go towards writing the RWBY characters but I hope that I did not butcher them at the very least. Especially Roman, since I don't remember much from Volume 2. As always comments and tips on improving are very welcome. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas this year, despite COVID. Chiao! Expect chapter 4 soon. Also, the 'mysterious' character is not an OC, don't worry about that.


	4. A Vytal Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cinder, Ruby and Blake enjoy their day at Vale while threats begin looming towards Beacon Academy.

Cinder looked at her scroll again. She had been waiting for team RWBY to meet her at the docks for over half an hour already, and the huntress was getting irritated at this point. She had made time for them, for her sisters. She had so much to do already.

The woman shook those thoughts away. They were not holding her back. They loved her, and she wanted to love them; that’s why was doing this. Spend time with them, like Ozpin and Qrow had told her.

Many bullheads arrived, letting out a horde of students from different academies, no doubt in preparation for the Vytal festival. Beacon prided itself on being a diverse and inclusive combat school, even if Vale’s population was still somewhat behind on that acceptance.

She could see outfits from Vacuo, who were mostly rags, hoods and many, many tools. As expected from the harshest environment in Remnant. The regal and minimalist outfits from Atlas, tough there some some very eccentric ones here and there which sported many light or fancy designs, which made particular students stick out like a sore thumb. The ones from Mistral were the most ‘normal’, wearing outfits that had the hallmarks of Mistralian design.

Two students seemed to separate from the crowd of Mistral, grey and green approaching her.

“Hey. We are kinda… lost. Could you help us?” Asked the girl, her companion in tow. She could see behind her eyes, she wanted something else; but what she could not discern. Still, she decided to play along.

“Didn’t your professors tell you were to go?” Asked Cinder, eyes narrowed. The boy in grey spoke in her place, arms crossed over his chest.

“Those idiots at the school are horrible at directions. They kinda just told us to come here and deal with it.” He said with a derisive tone.

“I see. Just follow the crowd, Headmaster Ozpin should receive you at the mess hall, probably make a big announcement.” She said. Their lying was so obvious, their expressions so fake. It sickened her, even more so now that she knew true honesty; thanks to her family. Yet they hid their true intentions well enough.

“Hey, you don’t happen to be… ‘The Ember of Mistral’, do you?” Asked the boy. Cinder raised an eyebrow.

“Mercury…” Began the girl, grimacing.

“I am.” She said simply. She relished somewhat in her fame, even if she didn’t let it show.

“That’s awesome. Then… maybe we could spar later?” He asked her, smiling. The girl facepalmed. “I saw you there the moment we exited the airship, but didn’t know how to approach you.” He added, rubbing the back of his head. So that was why.

“You want to fight me?” She asked again.

“That’s right. I’ve heard so much about you, and wanted to get a taste for myself.” Said the boy.

Cinder scoffed. “I’m kind of out of your league.” The boy narrowed his eyes, still smiling. He was clearly challenging her.

“Drop it already Mercury.” Said the girl, clearly irritated. She pushed him a bit, but the boy just laughed.

“Oh, come on Em. Just let me have some fun. Stretch my legs. See if this girl is the real deal.” He said. Cinder decided she had enough.

“You can’t goad me like that, you know.” She said, narrowing her eyes again and standing at her full height.

“Aww, but that’s part of the fun. Thought we could learn about each other, share techniques.” he said, not getting the message.

“No.” She said, voice with an edge that could cut steel. The girl visibly grimaced.

“Ok, ok. You’re busy. Later then.” He said, backing away from her.

“No.” She said again.

Yes.” He answered, using finger guns and walking backwards in the direction of every other new student that arrived. ‘Em’ just looked at her like she had the worst day of her life.

“I’m so sorry. I won’t waste more of your time. Tough, you do look tough.” She said.

“I am. Now go get acclimated. Beacon is quite big, and we expect a lot out of you.” Cinder said.

“We?” Asked the girl.

“I teach here.” She said, looking around, trying to spot any of her sisters so they could get her out of this.

“Wow. That’s… disappointing.” She said. Cinder glared at her.

“What?” She asked, unable to control her tone. No one called her that. She would not allow it.

“I mean, you are so strong, and you are here, teaching people that may not end up being great?” Asked the girl.

“I think-” Before she could continue, a burst of petals engulfed her. ‘Em’ was startled as the petals reformed into a girl.

“Hey Super Sis! Sorry we’re late, we got this awesome board game, and it was so cool, you should come play.” Said Ruby, speaking at hyper speed. Cinder put a hand on her head, attempting to stop her.

“Alright, I get it. Try to not keep me waiting next time, okay?” Said Cinder.

“You already want to go out again?” Said Ruby, doubly excited. Cinder had to suppress a chuckle. Normally she would call Ruby childish but, she knew that her actions were deliberate. Even if she was naive, the red reaper was not as unaware as she seemed. She simply chose to remain in high spirits.

“We’ll see.” She said, then turned to Em once again. “You should go. Really.” She told the girl, who seemed to be intensely focused on Ruby before being brought back to the present by the huntress.

“I get it. But do consider fighting Mercury. He really could use an ass kicking.” Said the girl as she trotted away.

“Nice to meet you!” Said Ruby to the retreating student. She looked back, waved, and then disappeared into the interior of Beacon.

“What’s going on?” Said a new voice. Cinder saw the black haired teammate of Ruby approach them. She looked exhausted. There was no sign of either Yang or the Atlas girl.

“Cinder made a new friend, I think. Were you?” She said.

“No. They were just annoying me, I think. Not easy being a known huntress.” Said Cinder with a sigh.

“Why not? You get admirers, and you inspire people to be better. I want to be famous.” Said Ruby. Cinder snickered.

“You? Famous? Could you really handle that? Crowds, fans, stalkers?” Asked Blake, much more serious than the huntress. Ruby seemed to deflate at that, looking at her feet.

“Well… no. No I don’t think so. But the inspiring part is important, right?” She asked. Blake looked away, like the words reminded her of something painful. Cinder noticed, and so decided to divert the conversation.

“Right. And the other two? Where are they?” She asked. Ruby groaned.

“Team RWBY got told to prepare the Beacon Dance; but Weiss pretty much ran us out, since our ideas are not ‘refined’ enough” Said Ruby, air quoting the last part.

“You wanted to make it mandatory to bring weapons.” Said Blake, arms crossed.

“It would be awesome. Weapons tell you more about people than anything else. Everyone would be able to show off their moves and themselves.” Said Ruby, looking at the sky like she was dreaming.

“Now that would have been exciting.” Said Cinder. She enjoyed dancing, both in and out of the battlefield, showing off her moves and her power. Combining the two seemed a good idea on paper, but she doubted either Glynda or Ozpin would like it.

“See? Even Cinder agrees.” Said Ruby.

“Can we just get going?” Asked Blake, pointing to a waiting Bullhead.

Both sisters nodded, and the three women walked side by side to the vehicle.

“Didn’t know you enjoyed combat, Cinder.” Said Blake as they boarded the vehicle. The doors closed and the interior began rumbling.

“I don’t enjoy it by itself. It’s a means to an end. To show others how powerful you are.” She said, looking trough a nearby circular window. The vehicle was somewhat packed with students and civilians.

“But if you don’t enjoy it, what is the point?” Asked the red reaper.

“Not everything in life is fun and games, Ruby.” Said Blake, taking a seat near her teammate, while trying to keep her distance from everyone else, going so far as to squeeze to Ruby’s side.

“I know. You think I like studying all day? But still… if you are going to do something for life, you should enjoy some of it, right?” Said Ruby.

“Some people are more pragmatic than others. Some have suffered a great deal to get where they are, and will continue to do so. And not always by choice. Sometimes life doesn’t give you everything you want. Sometimes you have to take some loses.” Said Cinder, trying her best to be serious. She really hated to bring down Ruby, but her optimism at times got the best of her, and the last thing she wanted was for her to be hurt. To see that stripped away suddenly and painfully.

“She’s right. But I do think having some fun, like now, is good once in a while.” said Blake with a kind smile. The red reaper returned it. Cinder looked at the two teammates, their bond clear as day. She felt blessed to have her sisters, in a way. To see them get those same things so easily, it made her chest feel warm.

Her quest for improvement, for strength, maybe it could wait. At least for today.

* * *

They arrived in the city of Vale in no time. From the station to the main street, everything was decorated with a variety of balloons, banners and stands all showcasing different cultures coming together for the festival. Even if the main event was still a few weeks away, people were already celebrating with games and food.

“Wow. I’ve never seen people from Mistral or Vacuo do things like these. It’s so awesome. What should we do first?” Asked Ruby as they neared an intersection. One path was narrower but allowed pedestrians to walk the street while the other allowed vehicles but had a slew of restaurants and other businesses.

“I’m kinda hungry.” Said Blake, then her stomach growled and the girl turned red. Ruby snickered, but hers did the same in no time.

“Maybe we could try some dishes from Menagerie. You come from there, right Blake?” Asked Ruby. Cinder raised an eyebrow as the black haired girl looked at the huntress with worry. Upon noticing this, Ruby covered her mouth. “Sorry.”

“You are a Faunus? Why hide it?” Asked Cinder. Blake looked away for a second, bitterness evident in her face. She knew it very well, that bubbling hate, buried under a sea of justification and morality.

“As progressive as Vale is, people still don’t like the Faunus.” Said Blake.

“But there are so many here.” Said Ruby, looking around. Cinder did the same, and indeed the ratio of human to Faunus was more or less even. She had only ever seen so many in Anima villages or the lower districts of Mistral.

“That doesn’t mean anything. People could just be tolerating them, hiding their contempt.” Said Cinder. She knew that very well. The fake pleasantries, the faces of disgust when a Faunus turned away.

“Oh come on. Not everyone is like that.” Said Ruby.

“It’s more usual than you think Ruby.” Said Blake. The red reaper seemed to deflate.

“I refuse to believe that. It must be some bad apples, that’s all.” Said Ruby. Cinder did not have the heart to tell her. Or maybe she did, but this was not the time. Looking around awkwardly, the huntress spotted something familiar. A stand serving one of her favorite foods from Mistral.

“You ever taste Sushi, you two?” She asked them.

“Nope.”

“Can’t say I have. Is it good?”

“It’s raw fish with some rice and other ingredients.” Explained Cinder. Ruby’s eyes narrowed in suspicion and some slight disgust, while Blake’s glinted.

“That sounds amazing.” Said the black haired girl.

“It is. Shall we get some?” Asked Cinder, pointing to the stand. Blake, upon seeing the funny way the older woman was looking at her, snapped out of her trance and calmly walked towards it, almost as if her previous demeanor hadn’t happened.

Cinder and Ruby looked at each other, before Ruby almost burst out laughing as she began to walk towards the stand. The older woman shook her head before joining her two younger companions.

They got their food served quite quickly, and the Faunus man attending the stand was Mistralian in origin. When he saw Blake approach the stand, both of them seemed to form some kind of connection that warmed him to them.

The sat in three stools. Blake immediately dug into her food, Cinder took it more slowly to savor it, and Ruby struggled to pick up even one piece. Noticing her frustration, the older sister went leaned towards her.

“Need help?” She asked.

“Nope. I’m fine.” She said as another piece was dropped into soy sauce, splattering everywhere.

“Sure. You do it like this.” She said, demonstrating the correct finger positions.

“Really. I don’t need help. Maybe if I stab it…” Said Ruby, trying to pinch one of the pieces.

“You need to do it properly! You’re embarrassing us!” Said Cinder with irritation as she tried to take the chopsticks away from Ruby. The younger sister desperately resisted, going so far as to keep Cinder away by putting a boot in her face.

“You are embarrassing!” Countered Ruby, still trying to pick the pieces in her own way. Blake could do nothing else but enjoy the spectacle. She had never seen Yang struggle with Ruby like Cinder did. They truly were sisters.

* * *

After half an hour of trying to teach Ruby how to properly eat Sushi, the three companions finally started to enjoy their visit to Vale. Ruby was, of course, extremely excited about the various weapon shops that had imported guns and melee arms from all around Remnant.

Ornamental and traditional designs from Mistral, rough looking but extremely complex mechanisms from Vacuo; slick but advanced technology from Atlas. Ruby enjoyed all of it as she was allowed to test a few in various rapidly set up firing ranges.

“Wow. Is this a harpoon launcher?” Ruby asked as a purple cloaked man allowed her to lift a bulky looking weapon sporting a spear in it’s firing mechanism. The rest of the weapon was a cylinder where the mechanisms were stored. The weapon needed to be hold by the trigger to be charged, but it would fire it with tremendous force.

“Indeed. Those Sinworms in Vacuo are big an’ full a’ plates. You need ‘dis baby to punch trough them and keep’ em from burrowing. A true beauty.” Said the man in an accent that Cinder did not recognize. She eyed the weapon carefully as Ruby prepared to shoot it, using her forearm as the support for it. “Can also be used for slicin’ an thrustin’, and if anyone sees you with it, they’ll definitely want some of that. Hehe” Cinder narrowed her eyes at the man.

“Inappropriate.” Growled Ruby, completely focused on the weapon at hand. Cinder blinked, the girl truly had grown.

“Ruby, I don’t think it’s…” Said Blake as the weapon’s harpoon was loaded into the main body and the rear began to exit trough the back. The spring holding it in place seemed to stretch out too much.

“Kid… please be…” Too late. The harpoon was shot forwards, piercing trough the hay target and trough a building behind it. The front of it exploded with force and Ruby was flung backwards into another food stand.

“Ruby!” Cinder shouted, going to her sister’s side along with Blake. The red reaper was dazed, birds chirping over her head, but seemed otherwise unharmed.

“If I fire it backwards, would I be the harpoon?” The girl asked as Cinder was checking upon her. Upon hearing her ridiculous words, and knowing she was quite fine, the older woman couldn’t help but snicker. She covered her mouth, but she could not contain herself and openly laughed. It was enough to snap the red reaper out of her daze.

“Wow, either I’m in a delusional coma, or Cinder really laughed.” She said, at this Blake laughed, but Cinder stopped, now looking at Ruby with a stone face.

“You okay, then?” She asked her. The girl rose to her feet with one jump, apparently unharmed.

“My cabbages!” Said an old man, gripping a bunch of crushed green vegetables in mourning. “You monsters! You better pay for this!”

And she did. Cinder literally paid for the damages out of pocket. She had accumulated quite a sum from hunting in Mistral, but it was still unpleasant to have to part with it.

As they continued on their small trip in the fair, they tasted more food; or Ruby did at least. They checked weapons and clothes, talked small, and enjoyed the new faces in the crowds.

Cinder couldn’t believe it, but she was actually having fun. Using her training to win pointless games, wasting her money on food that she was not eating, spending her time with her sister and her friend instead of practicing or working. As long as she was with Ruby, she felt good. She felt it was worth it.

That was when a cage suddenly fell on her; the realization hitting her in the face.

_You are unworthy of this._

_You are a killer._

_You are a murderer._

_You are a slave._

_You are powerless._

_Even now, you are nothing._

“Cinder?” A voice pullet her out of her trance. It was Ruby.

“What?” She asked, rubbing her eyes.

“You suddenly stopped, you okay?” Asked her younger sister.

“I’m fine. You?” Asked the older woman, Ruby looked like she was about to expel something from within her.

“I might have had a little too--” She began, but a burp escaped her mouth.

“If you throw up in the dorm, Weiss is gonna kill you.” Said Blake.

“Sorry.” Replied Ruby.

“What were we doing now?” Asked Cinder.

“I’m gonna go pick a book from a nearby store. I heard they have The Archer of Inferno.” Said Blake, guiding them towards the streets.

“Don’t you get tired of books? We already have thousands from school.” Said Ruby.

“Reading is good Ruby. It boosts your brain and imagination.” Said Blake.

“I think she already has enough imagination as she is. Especially when it comes to weapons.” Said Cinder, glaring at Ruby.

“Don’t look at me like that. The grenade sling was awesome.”

“You nearly destroyed the house. I can’t believe Yang allowed it.”

“No one can resist my puppy eyes.”

“I can.”

“I’ve been practicing. You’ll see soon.”

* * *

When the three women arrived at the bookstore, it turned out their destination had been somewhat compromised. The street was blocked off by barriers and police tape as various armed guards stood near an ambulance.

Seeing this, Blake ran forward, but an armed policeman stopped her.

“Stop. This is a crime scene.”

“What happened?” She asked, clearly distressed.

“Stay clear ma’am.” he said. Cinder didn’t like this. Blake was clearly worried about something. She didn’t often get involved in criminal cases, but as a huntress, she had to set a good example for Ruby at least.

“I’m a huntress. Who is in charge here?” She asked with a commanding tone. The man tensed.

“N-no one. We’ve just labeled this a murder by White Fang.” Said the policeman, his voice meek.

“White Fang?” Asked Ruby.

“Yes. This man apparently deserted. So we ruled it as that.”

“So it’s getting worse...” Whispered Blake.

“And there are no suspects? No anything?” Asked Ruby.

“We don’t have time to save every little Faunus that is being discriminated against. The Vytal Festival is upon us, and that takes precedence. Now move along.” he said, regaining his composure. Seeing Blake’s agitation, Ruby stepped in.

“But you are supposed to help everyone.” Said Ruby. Cinder glared at the man. It was not his fault on one hand, but on the other, following orders only got you so far. Still, this was not anyone’s problem anymore.

“Let it go Ruby.” Said Cinder, her tone stern.

“But…” The girl protested.

“ _Now_ ” She said, a dangerous edge to her voice. For the first time in a while, she felt the girl glare at her. The red reaper turned tow and started walking away from the scene, along with Blake who looked extremely down. Cinder sighed; she would talk to Ozpin.

She looked back at the bookstore, and at the white sheet covering the body that was being taken away. If things were getting violent, then she had to protect her sisters. It’s the least she could do.

She closed her red coat, and followed her two companions.

* * *

The three women walked in silence. The crowds were becoming more and more robust as the day progressed into dawn, but Beacon still had curfew rules and so they decided to head back. Of course Cinder could ignore those, but Ruby and Blake could not.

Blake had remained in a silence, looking as if someone had died, with Ruby looking at her companion in concern.

“Blake? You ok?” Asked Ruby.

“I’m alright. I just wish… the White Fang is lost. Now they’re little more than terrorists, it’s hard to see what it has become.” She said.

“It’s not your fault.” Replied Ruby.

“I know. But… I can’t help but wonder how this happened?” Asked Blake, hugging herself.

“Hate can warp anything.” Said Cinder. Both girls looked at her.

“I know. It’s just hard. They’ve…” Said Blake, before stopping herself. Cinder arched an eyebrow.

“You were with the White Fang. I don’t mind.” She said. It had been obvious due to her reaction.

“Why?”

“I know what it’s like, to be seen as less than human.” Said Cinder, remembering her time. Only then did she realize in front of whom she had said it.

“Cinder? What do you mean by that?” Asked Ruby, a look of horror in her face.

“Nothing. I’ve just seen some stuff in Mistral. That’s all.” Said Cinder. Lying came easy to her now, not that she enjoyed it.

“Oh. So it’s like that everywhere huh.” Said Ruby, tone somber.

“Yeah. The world can be a very bad place.” Said Cinder.

“But it doesn’t have to be that way.” Said Ruby, looking forwards. The older woman looked at her step sister.

“What? You gonna change the world?” She asked.

“If I can. And I’ll start now; by stopping the White Fang from hurting anyone else.” Said Ruby, looking at Blake, who smiled at her in return.

“Wow Ruby. You never lose hope, huh.” Said Blake.

“Nope. Especially not when a friend is in need.” She said, taking Blake’s hand. The black haired Faunus looked away with a blush. Cinder looked at the display with a stone face. Her sister was impossible to crush, it seemed. She knew it could not last, and that saddened her.

“And how do you plan to do that?” Asked Cinder as they approached the bullhead station.

“We’ll think of something. Maybe some detective work.” Said Ruby.

“You know no teacher is going to allow that, right?” Said Cinder.

“Good thing one of our teachers is my dear Sister, who would never betray us.” Said Ruby with a very sarcastic tone.

“Right. Maybe I’ll be too busy with the exams and the festival to keep watch.” Said Cinder, faking a worried voice.

The two girls laughed as they boarded the bullhead and set off to Beacon.

“But seriously…” Said Cinder, addressing both Blake and Ruby. “… I’m glad you decided to take this into your hands, but try to not make me lose my job.” She said.

“So you won’t help us?” Asked Ruby.

“I’ll fight in my own battlefront.” Said Cinder. Yes, she knew getting trough to Ozpin about anything was like slamming against a brick wall, so she would take matters into her own hands.

“Speaking of battlefront…” Said Blake, looking out the window of the bullhead. “… Are those atlas battleships?” She asked. Looking at each other, Cinder and Ruby joined the black haired teen on the window. Indeed, there was a fleet of Atlas ships approaching their school. Many of the other passengers had joined to observe as well.

“What the hell?” Whispered Cinder.

Her scroll rang, and taking it out she could see Ozpin was calling her.

“Headmaster.” She said, curtly.

“Professor. Please come to my office. There are important matters to discuss.”

* * *

  
  


“Damn, did you see that bitch? Ice cold.” Said Mercury, pacing around the room.

“Will you stop it with that?” Asked Emerald, clearly irritated.

“Hmm. It’s outright disrespectful. At least the redhead should prove a nice fight.” He said, sitting on one of the beds of their room.

“At least you get the easy job.”

“C’mon, how hard is it to fool people?” He asked, smiling at her with sarcasm.

“Harder than it looks. Once screw up and we’re dead. Meanwhile you--”

“Cut it out, both of you!” Said a voice on their window. Both teens jumped, frightened at the dark cloaked figure standing there.

“Jeez! I thought it was cool at first, but now it’s just creepy.” Said Mercury.

“Did you locate the girl?” Asked the woman to Emerald, ignoring the boy.

“Yeah. Seems easy enough. The older one didn’t take the bait though.” Said the tan girl.

“No matter. Make sure they meet our operative in Vale. You have a week.” Said the woman.

“But how will we lure her?” Asked Emerald. The woman seemed to smirk, as she slipped a photograph to the red eyed girl. It was of a woman. Tall, pink skinned and with Silver eyes.

“Any voice will do the trick. Just make her see that, and it will be like a puppet.” Said the woman.

“She’s kinda hot.” Said Mercury, looking at the picture and leaning beside Emerald. The girl took the picture away. When both teens looked back, the woman was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So yeah, kinda short chapter. Next one, things will start picking up speed, so you can look forward to that. I wish y'all a happy new year.


	5. Cold Trails

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cinder decides to take the White Fang matter into her own hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Before we begin, Winter appears in this chapter. If that causas a continuity error with chapter 2, I'll fix it, in the meantime just assume Cinder hated her so much she wanted to forget about her. Enjoy!

Cinder did not like the current situation at all. She walked the hallways of Beacon, slighlty darkened by dusk, seeing the multitude of worried students scurrying around towards the nearest windows to watch in either awe or fear the fleet that now stood on their doorstep.

She knew Atlesians were bold and uncaring about anyone other than their own, but this was too much. And Ozpin calling her to his office did not put her at ease.

She reached the antechamber that held the elevators to the headmaster’s tower, and saw a familiar face there. She had seen it on television, internet and on the Glass Unicorn. Sporting a white formal suit, was James Ironwood along with his favorite pet; Winter Schnee.

The mere thought of her name made her stomach churn. She had only met her for a few months years ago, and that was enough for a lifetime.

The worst part was, she was the first to notice her arrival. She turned to the ‘Ember of Mistral’, face impassive, posture uptight and hands behind her back.

“Well, well. It’s a pleasure to meet you again, Cinder.” That very same expression she carried everywhere, as if she didn’t care a single bit about anyone around her. A fitting Ice Queen.

“Likewise. Although not the pleasure part.” Cinder stopped towards a second elevator near them, eyeing the Specialist with a glare. It was at this moment that the General turned towards her; smiling with politeness and something akin to warmth.

“Ah, Cinder. I heard a lot about you from Qrow. I’d have preferred to meet under better, more organized circumstances.” The huntress arched an eyebrow at his display. It was rehearsed, with the drop of a familiar name to break tensions. Atlesians really were all the same.

“You and Qrow talk?” She asked, crossing her arms.

“Only in regards to important matters, I’m afraid. But he does get loose in Atlas sometimes.” At this, Winter growled.

“Which is why I don’t understand why that drunk is still… associated with us.” The elevator was taking forever, and the longer it took, the closer she was to throwing up.

“He is invaluable, and one of the best huntsmen in Remnant. Ozpin trusts him, and I trust his skills.” Before Winter could reply, the elevator made a sound and the doors opened. Only the one the two Atlesians were going to use arrived, leaving Cinder in a painful crossroad.

Being near Winter, or explain to Ozpin why she had been late, which, now that there were two witnesses, would be extremely troublesome.

“Not coming, Cinder?” Asked Ironwood, stopping the door.

“Oh, uh, yeah. Sure.” She entered the elevator, going towards the side opposite of Winter. With that, the three of them were on their way up. And Gods it was awkward. The only relief was that the elevator music was catchy.

Cinder wondered why Ozpin needed to be so high up in the sky to run Beacon. It made him look pompous.

“So, Cinder, why are you in Beacon? I doubt you’re here to just visit.” Snapped out of her thoughts, Cinder gave a direct answer without any snark.

“I’m a professor here.” She answered.

“A professor? Those kids must be suffering, then.” She ground her teeth internally, trying to suppress her anger.

“Oh, they love me, so don’t worry about that.”

“Right.” It had been a neutral answer, no undertones or sarcasm in her voice, and yet Cinder snapped.

“Like you could do better, Ice Queen.” She saw Winter pop her head from behind Ironwood.

“I _can_ do better. Discipline, order, knowledge, all things you always lacked, Cinder, and the quintessential qualities of a teacher.” She spat her name, and the huntress fixed the specialist with a glare.

“You sound like you wanna go at it. The simulators are always open.” She smirked, and Winter did the same. That was not good.

“If you wanna repeat the Vytal festival, then I'm sure I can make some space in my schedule.” Winter had gone for the kill on her ego, and the worst part was the elevator just happened to open up, letting Winter have the final word. The three occupants exited into Ozpin’s office. As usual, Glynda Goodwitch was already there, and Cinder was happy to go to her side, if only to get away from the two Atlesians.

“Nice to see you could come, General. You too professor.” General Ironwood bowed slightly with a smile, as did Winter. However, Glynda did not seem as jovial as the rest of the occupants.

“Not that it’s not good to see you, but why are you here Ironwood? And why did you bring your fleet?” She asked. The accusation and danger of her voice was palpable, but Ironwood was unfazed.

“With the Vytal Festival so near, I thought it was a good idea for the world to see the might of the Atlesian military, to bolster morale.” He explained.

“Power is not all that matters. What do you think people will feel when they see an armada at their door?” Ironwood did not drop his smile, which unnerved Cinder.

“When no Grimm even comes near thanks to us, they will feel safe and protected, and they will see that Atlas wants to protect all of Remnant, not just itself.” He raised a fist with a smile, obviously to make him seem confident. Cinder scoffed internally. Until they did something, they were as good as useless.

“All right, now. This is not why we are here. There are some things so discuss.” Said Ozpin, calling everyone’s attention back to him as he sipped from his cup.

“By the way, why am I here? Where are the other teachers?” There was something everyone but her knew, and that made Cinder uncomfortable, especially because she hated not being in the know.

Ozpin took a breath before fixing her with a gaze of iron. “Cinder, as a combat instructor, you have a duty to survey students for exceptional traits. Not only so that they may be trained well, but also guarded.” The huntress felt a void in her chest. That sensation, that primal fear that the shock collar of the Madame brought upon her was in her again.

“What do you mean?” She asked. She stopped breathing for a moment.

“A student of ours, who was very important to this school, was hunted down and left catatonic. She had a… special… talent… and…” Cinder raised a hand to stop him. She had enough of his dancing around the issue.

“The truth.” She gave him a look mimicking his.

“I cannot tell you that.”

“Because of your secret war?” She was now cutting close, she could see Ozpin narrow his eyes.

“You need to understand, Cinder, that unless you join us in our fight, we cannot give you details. Any leak could lead to panic, and catastrophe.” The huntress felt cold anger rise in her chest.

“So what is it you want? For me to spy on students?” She asked, spitting venom.

“Keep an eye out. Wether they are from Vale, Mistral, Vacuo or Atlas, we need every exemplary talent. Especially if they are young women.” Cinder raised an eyebrow.

“Was Isshin a part of this? Why young women?”

“Yes. Isshin was uninterested in the finer details, but attended to his duty anyways. This is very important Cinder. For the entirety of Remnant.” Ironwood’s voice was as cold as Ozpin now. Cinder grimaced, something was wrong. Ozpin cared about this ‘hidden enemy’ yet did not do anything about the White Fang. Was he being blindsided? Was he arrogant?

“Did you know the White Fang are killing people now? Their own deserters? It’s almost like a cult.” She said, taking a look around the room. Certainly, everyone but Ozpin was surprised, although only in their eyes.

“We’ve received many reports. But there are not enough hunters…”

“That’s bullshit.” Cinder was now balling her fist. Ozpin really did think she was stupid.

“Miss Cinder! He is your superior. Whatever he says, I’m sure he has good reason!” Winter objected. She was a little slave; except willingly. Maybe that’s why Cinder had such distaste fir her.

“So, are you going to take care of it, or not?” She ignored Winter, still directing her gaze at Ozpin.

“I’ll dispatch some forces to increase security. Maybe Winter can also look into it.” Ironwood was calm as ever as he looked at Winter, who was surprised for a moment before regaining her icy expression.

“Yes sir. Of course. But I was hoping…”

“As soon as possible.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Is that all?” Asked Cinder, already tired of this conversation that seemed to go nowhere. At least she had gotten some help against the white fang, even if it was superficial.

“Yes. You may go now.” Ozpin waved a hand to dismiss her, and with a nod she went to the elevator. Glynda accompanied her, for some reason she could not discern, although the woman had her brow furrowed more than usual.

She could not blame her. All of this was really putting her mood in a sour place. The White Fang, Atlas forces, an unseen enemy, Ruby and Yang being in potential danger. This was the reason she had gone to Mistral, so she would not get sidetracked by all of this.

Still, she would not let Ozpin manipulate her. If he refused to let her in the know, then she would work with what she had. She just needed to make sure of where to start.

“Glynda.” The elevator arrived, and she stepped in. Goodwitch looked at her with an arched eyebrow.

“Are we safe?” She asked. She was not afraid of anything, but she did fear for her step sisters. Especially knowing their current disposition towards the White Fang situation.

“Absolutely.” The reply came, and then the doors closed.

Cinder sighed. Perhaps some drinks, and some badly done exams would help calm her some. The only problem was, her favorite drink was only made in Mistral.

* * *

Turns out, with the Vytal festival, some bottles of Monkey Booze had been imported into Vale; and Cinder wasted no time in ordering some. The rustic beverage was not as good as the one she had tasted on the other Capital, but it got the job done.

And it had one big job ahead of it that night.

The huntress sat alone in her new apartment, near the bullhead station to Beacon. It was not cheap, but she had the money to spare and the school covered some of the expenses. It was also much more basic than her old one, but was cozy enough and had some furnishings.

She sat on a kitchen table, trying to come up to an answer to her current predicament. She did not want to help neither Ozpin nor Ironwood; she did not want to join their group and be told what to do while no one else had any idea of what was going on. On the other hand, she could not simply leave things as they were. Neither Rhodes, nor Summer would have liked that. The latter would not have stepped away from something like this.

Huntsmen defended the people, and while she did not fully believe that adage, she at least wanted to make her sisters, and her own life, as safe as possible. However, she needed more information. The problem was getting ahold of it. Ozpin’s bunch were tightlipped, and would not break under any sort of pressure, not that she would want to do that. Maybe as a last resort.

There was a weak link in them, however. Or more like, that link had another, smaller one connected to it.

With a sigh, she downed another glass of booze, the pinkish red drink burning in her throat.

“I hope Ruby will forgive me.”

* * *

  
  


The next day was hectic to say the least; as at least dozens of foreign students joined every combat class. Students that she did not know the capabilities of, and sometimes either were behind her own pupils or far superior to. They also treated their stay at Beacon as unimportant, and teaching uninterested students was frustrating.

Luckily, the ones present today were mostly calm, save for the members of JNPR who were fighting for their lives in the arena.

Cinder propped her head with one hand while on her desk as she tried her best to get over her hangover and concentrate on their performance. She had drank a bit too much booze that night; and now she feared that she was becoming too much like her uncle.

It was a relief that Jaune had been the one to get knocked out of the fight first. The boy was severely lacking in skill, but made up for it in perseverance. Cinder respected that, even if she was unsure it would get him far.

“Enough!” She said as a siren flared and the holographic Grimm disappeared, leaving two students panting, one standing proudly and one on the ground on his back. “Nikos, Valkyrie, Ren, you all performed very well.” She tried her best to sound professional, but her headache prevented her from being fully polite. Her students did not seem to notice.

“Thank you.” Said Phyrra with a bow as a few students in the desks around the arena either cheered her on or asked for autographs. With a groan, Cinder turned towards the blonde boy on the ground.

“Arc, you did poorly. In fact, you failed to provide for your team in combat. You were too defensive and could not keep up. I don’t know if you’re scared or what, but you have to fix that.” The boy looked at her, and with a sigh of defeat slumped his head back.

“But… But… he came up with our sick strategy.” Cinder looked at the usually bubbly hammer wielder while holding her own head with one hand as if to prevent if from falling off.

“Nora’s right. He has come up with all of our combination attacks. I’d say he’s provided enough.” The green… ninja guy went to Nora’s side in a heartbeat, fixing her with a stern stare.

“I’m sorry, but no strategy or plan survives contact with the enemy. And if he can’t provide any sort of combat efficiency, no matter how good his plans, he’s gonna get targeted, and one of you will have to pull his ass out.” Said Cinder, containing her groans. She did not want to sound too harsh, but the down stares of the students made it clear she had failed at that. So she settled for some consolation.

“He has improved, though. Very rapidly. I guess you have to thank Nikos for that.” She added. Phyrra blushed slightly as Nora helped Jaune get on his feet. “So, keep at it. And all of you, not just Phyrra. You’re a team, remember that.”

Cinder looked at the big digital clock on one of the screens. It was almost time, but she would not survive another minute of class. Maybe, today, no one would mind.

“Alright. Class dismissed!” Her voice echoed trough the hall. “Now go. Get out.” She heard various students celebrate at that. She observed the door carefully as she packed her belongings. RWBY exited the hall last, as usual, and she used this opportunity along with her teacher privilege to capture her prey.

“Schnee! Come here!” The heiress turned her head as Yang snickered something that made her indignant. Like a petulant child, she strolled towards her before fixing her posture and demeanor.

“Yes, professor?” Now that Cinder could observe her, she was very much like her sister on the surface.

“I have a question for you. Has anyone come to visit you lately?” Weiss raised an eyebrow at the question.

“N-Not at all, why?” Cinder almost smirked. She had hit jackpot. However, she still needed to confirm.

“Really? No family?” Weiss looked away, clearly disappointed by something.

“Again, no. And thank the stars for that, my father would be certainly unbearable if he was here. So… is that all?” The girl was already looking back at the door, seeking to escape. She seemed to be more comfortable around her than around the other teachers, maybe because of Ruby.

“Yes. Sorry, sometimes the students get unexpected visits from family on the Vytal Festival. You can go now.” Weiss looked at her with suspicion, but said nothing as she strolled out of the room. Once she was alone, the older huntress smirked.

“Gotcha, Winter.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


Night had fallen on the City of Vale. The streets were crowded despite being a weekday, the streets lit up with the festivities. Cinder did not want to run into anyone at that hour, or fear being recognized, so she donned a garnet cloak she kept for rainy days, bearing the marks of Mistral makeshift. Her twin swords ‘Midnight’ were strapped on her lower back along with a quiver of arrows.

She did not expect things to go south, but a fight was always on the table when it came to information gathering.

She jumped from rooftop to rooftop. Outside of the main streets, Vale had narrow alleys between buildings, which allowed many to sleep unnoticed below; and many others to traverse above.

She reached her objective, the knew the path despite being mildly distracted when getting there the day before. She landed on the ledge of an adjacent building, tall enough to give her a good view of the area. The bookstore where the faunus man had been killed was still surrounded by police tape, but now guarded by Atlesian Knights. White and Black robots with shiny armor and weapons, a new model. This confirmed her hunch.

She dropped down into the rooftop of the store, and saw a convenient skylight that gave view into it.

She peered inside, and indeed, Winter was there, alone with the lights on, examining something that resembled a strongbox in the counter. Her back was turned, it was the perfect opportunity.

She lifted the glass window and dropped down. Not the stealthiest approach, but that was not her intention. The Atlesian Specialist turned her head slightly at the sound as Cinder stood up.

“You work fast.” She would try to be friendly at first, and see how it goes from there.

“Of course I do. I was handpicked by Ironwood to be his aide, and got the best training in Atlas Academy. It should not be a surprise to you.” The Specialist turned back fully to stare at her, brow furrowed and mouth twisted downwards slightly.

“You really need to learn to take compliments.” She said with a smile, but Winter’s stare did not change at all, and so the huntress’ smile dissipated as well.

“What do you want?” Asked the Schnee.

“Information.” Replied Cinder in a casual tone. Winter closed her eyes for a moment, as if trying to suppress something.

“I have none to give.”

“Really? You know nothing about the White Fang? That’s bullshit. No one knows you are here, not even your own sister. So I’m not buying that.”

“You should have accepted Ozpin’s offer. Then you would be able to help the cause.” Winter’s tone was harsh, her stance now more tense as she tried to change topics. Cinder did not move from her position, leaning against a bookshelf casually.

“I have no intention of helping Ozpin, or Ironwood. However, I am concerned about these guys. They are murdering deserters, what’s next? I’d rather not have a bomb at my feet one of these days.” Cinder’s eyes narrowed as she fixed Winter with a hard stare. The specialist did not budge either.

“So you are acting on your own. Then, forgive me if I’m not concerned about you.” Winter turned around, aiming to end the conversation. The huntress would not let her.

“Oh, no, you should not be. However, I’m not the only one here with a freelance mentality.” At this, the specialist looked at her over her shoulder. Cinder continued.

“You see, my sisters are also concerned about the White Fang, so much that they plan on doing something about it. That is very dangerous, and so I’d rather their problem just disappear so that they don’t have to risk their life.”

“And this has to do with…”

“Well, Beacon has a very strong focus on teamwork. So it’s logical that my sisters would be joined by their teammates in their perilous crusade. And you know exactly who is in their team. So unless you help me do something about the White Fang, you’d be putting your little sister in danger.” She finished her proposition, and had to resist laughing at how agitated the Ice Queen became.

The woman turned around, fully facing her with a glare that promised death and a hand on her sword.

“It’s one thing to threaten me, but my sister? That’s low, even for you.” The edge on her voice made the huntress smirk.

“I’m not threatening anyone. I’m just stating facts. And the facts are; if we do nothing, our sisters will. So, you have to choose. Your duty and perfect record, or your family?” Cinder smiled as Winter visibly gritted her teeth. She could see her hand shaking before it relaxed.

“What do you want to know?” The resignation in her voice was palpable.

“The White Fang. Where are they? What are their plans?”

“We don’t know yet, but an informant came to us, warning about the White Fang being used in a ploy against Beacon.” Cinder’s eye widened. While she wasn’t involved with Ozpin’s group, she knew her uncle was. He had been the one to tell her everything, and the one who gave her an out every time.

“Qrow? Is he here?” She asked, her facade almost falling apart. She didn’t want to know how her uncle got that information.

“Not Qrow.” Winter answered.

“Then who?” Silence reigned after that question. The specialist took a long breath before the answer came.

“Raven Branwen.”

“What?!”

“You know her?” Oh, she knew. Or rather, she heard of her. It was Qrow who told Cinder, after Ruby and Yang almost lost their lives looking for her, about her sisters’ estranged mother. He didn’t talk fondly of her. Taiyang however, had only good things to say, the one time she managed to make him talk about her.

Cinder’s opinion of that woman was formed by those tales, and considering the pain she had caused Yang, she could call what she felt hate.

“Yeah. I thought she vanished.” She replied, her tone sour.

“She did go M.I.A. But she resurfaced recently, and warned us. That’s why we came, to protect Beacon.” Cinder brought a hand to her chin, thinking about the information given.

“And how did she get this info?” Winter fell silent at that, her features strained.

“We don’t know. She faded away before answering more questions. But Qrow assured us that, if anything, she’s not working for them.” Said the Atlesian woman.

“Right, so, back to the topic at hand, you know anything about the White Fang. Anything at all?”

“Unfortunately, our leads are very sparse. However, there has been a marked increase in _human_ criminal activity since the incident between team RWBY and Roman Torchwick at the docks.”

“Human criminal activity huh? Think they are using humans to cover their trail?” She asked.

“It’s very possible, if they are associated with Torchwick, then working with humans must not be out of the question now.”

“I see.” If these were Mistral, Cinder would call some contacts, but that was not the case here. She did not have the time to meet anyone other than the academy staff and her sisters. So she was stumped. She would have to search far and wide, and that would take time. But at least she had something to go on.

“Well, thank you Ice Queen. I’ll see what I can do. You go back to… whatever you were doing.” She said, dismissing Winter with a hand wave as she positioned herself to jump to the skylight.

“Cinder.” She turned around to see the Specialist, who had her usual stern expression. “You are a huntress and a professor. Your duty is to Vale; if you find anything, I expect you to inform us.” She was not going to do that for the moment, but if everything turned out well, she sure would.

“Okay.”

“And please.” Now this caught Cinder’s full attention. Winter’s voice had turned pleading, her eyes narrowed and cheeks strained. Was she… anxious? “Don’t involve my sister.” Despite everything, Winter still was a sister. On the duty of protecting their siblings, no matter how much she loathed her, she could not help but feel some kinship.

“You have my word.” She truly wasn’t sure if that was going to be possible. Her sisters were certainly stubborn, but maybe with some force, she could convince them to stay out of it. So, she wasn’t really lying to Winter.

She jump out of the building trough the skylight, leaving the Specialist behind. With her cloak back over her head, she made her way to her apartment to get some rest for the night.

Hours later, As she laid on her bed, she looked at her list of contacts. It was… fairly small considering how many places she had been to. And many of those she would need to delete due to being out of touch for months. However, reaching the middle of the list, she saw a name she had almost but forgotten. A little helper she had come in contact with, and had provided her the means to find her human prey back on Anima.

  
  


* * *

  
  


The following day was crazy as well, but Cinder managed to power trough it. She had little time to do anything other than work and train, but she did work something out. A ‘little spider’ in Mistral had been kind enough to forwards her to a contact of hers in Vale. The price had been a simple favor from a famous huntress.

It would bite her, she knew that for sure, but at the moment she did not care.

She left the school early that day. The Bullhead that carried her touched down and let her out along with a crowd of people. As she was heading out, she saw a yellow mane in a bright orange bike, wearing white and black. And the owner of that bike seemed to notice her as well, waving at her.

“Hey sis!” Yang called out. Cinder headed towards her sister, despite considering the option of just going her own way.

“Yang. What are you doing here? What’s with the white?” She eyed her sister’s overcoat, a stark departure from her usual color scheme of oranges, browns and yellow.

“Oh this? Let’s say I’m trying to be discreet.” Cinder crossed her arms, and amused expression on her face.

“You. Discreet. Right.” Yang frowned at her.

“I can be when I want to.”

“But you like standing out.”

“Maybe, but I’m on a mission now. A little huntress work that I can’t jeopardize.” Upon hearing those words, Cinder’s slightly amused expression turned upside down. This is what she wanted to prevent, and she already failed.

“Just you?” She asked.

“All of RWBY. Ruby told us you wouldn’t rat us out.” Cinder wanted to facepalm. Of course she told her little step sister that.

“I won’t. You going at it alone?” She asked.

“You can come with if you like. Two sisters against the world, just like on patch.” Said Yang, with a dreamy look on her face while extending one arm as if to draw a horizon. “Unless you are too busy for us.” The goad was a good attempt, but it would not work on her. At least, not for that reason. Even if it would put her step sister on some danger, she was also a huntress in training, and one of the strongest people she knew. She could take care of herself.

“Alright. Just take me to my flat so that I can get changed.” Cinder hopped on the back of Bumblebee. She was envious that her father had bought Yang a kickass bike, but even Cinder had to admit it meshed nicely with the daredevil brawler.

But what stood out to her the most was Yang’s smile. For a moment, it shone like never before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello everyone. 2021 has begun, and some good and bad things have come, along with this infernal mid Volume 8 hiatus. I hope a new chapter is one of those good things. I changed the relationship tags recently since I was made aware of the difference between / and &, so sorry to anyone who got confused about that. Next chapter, Yang and Cinder head off to the criminal underworld to face the White Fang, while Ruby, Weiss and Blake do their own thing. Expect some fights.
> 
> And on the topic of this story. What do you think so far about the pace? Too fast? Too slow? What about Cinder herself? I tried to add some good traits to her while leaving her canon self under the surface a little. So please tell me what you think in the comments. If you also have some writing advice, or criticisms, those are welcome as well. That is all, Chiao!


	6. Gem Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang and Cinder look for information at a nightclub.

Despite how confident she had acted up until then, Yang Xiao Long was still extremely confused about how her now distant sister Cinder had agreed to help her on this important ‘mission’. It had been too long since she had done _anything_ with her. Of course, to some people two or three years is not much, but to her it was a lifetime.

Still, the truth was, Yang was doing something dangerous and Cinder had a duty as huntress, professor and sister to look out for her. There could be no feelings involved at all; but she hoped that there were some.

And if there were none, she'd make them appear. She would not allow her ‘Super sis’ to be estranged again.

Maybe that’s why without any prompting she followed the huntress into her apartment.

Cinder opened the scroll-secured door and flipped a switch, revealing a brown and grey two room apartment outfitted with simple furniture such as a table, a tv, a couch bathroom and kitchen. There was also a door to what she supposed was the bedroom.

“Quite cozy.” She said with hands on her hips, looking around.

“It’s the best I could get on a short notice.” Cinder went to her room, closing the door behind her to, apparently, change her clothes. Yang decided to inspect the rest of the place meanwhile.

“You’re talking like this is not up to your standard. Didn’t take you for the princess type, you’d get along with Weiss cream.” She said, loud enough for it to reach the other room.

“Very funny. You should see the apartment I got myself in Mistral.” She heard her sister’s voice quite well, if a little muffled. The walls were thin. Yang went to a bookshelf, inspecting it’s contents. Not much was there, except one or two books per row. Not a single decoration, outside of a small statue of a cat wiggling it’s arm.

“It’s better than this? Must be baller. Hold any parties?” She asked, picking up one of the books. The title was simple. ‘Ninjas of Love’ Volume 1. A copy of Blake’s closely held book. A golden opportunity to really see what her partner was so embarrassed about sharing.

“It’s for me Yang, and me only.” Yang narrowed her eyes at the book.

“Such a fun person you are.” She was not focusing on the book at all, she was thinking about the current topic. She could bring it up, do like Weiss said and confront her sister. Yet, she was also afraid. Cinder was here, that was all that mattered.

She heard the door open and closed the book. Out came her sister, dressed in what she assumed was her huntress attire. Grey pants adorned with various belts, black slim shirt and boots of the same color adorned by Mistral designs. Over everything was a red coat with golden edges, secured by belts around the neck and waist, while the tails were allowed to flow free.

On the back of her waist she saw her sister’s swords, ‘Midnight’, jut out along with a quiver hanging on her left side.

“All set?” Asked Cinder, pointing to the door.

“Ready to fire.” She said, cocking ‘Ember Celica’

* * *

It had been a while since she rode Bumblebee. Taking it from Beacon towards Vale was a hassle, and the classes these last months had left her without much choice. Besides, if she ever went out to the city it was with RWBY, and the bike had little space on it. And taking Ruby with her was a big no no.

So it felt good to finally allow her baby stretch her legs. And she had Cinder along for the ride to boot. They stopped at a red light. She was fine skipping them but didn’t want to alert local police. And she could use this chance to ask something she forgot.

“Hey, sis? Where are we going?” she asked trough her helmet.

“Walking Gemstone Club.” Cinder was wearing a black one that Yang had to buy on the insistence of her dad, since one ‘never knew’ when it would be needed. Despite his difficulties, he still managed to be a great dad.

Yang’s eyes widened at the mention. That was Junior’s club, where she was headed as well. Dude was not a kingpin, but she knew he had aspirations. Very bad, flimsy aspirations. That’s why she chose him as a ‘source’ of info.

“That’s where I’m headed.” She said.

“Really? You know someone in there?” Asked her sister.

“Yeah, kind of.” Cinder paused as if to ask a question, but the light turned green and she accelerated. She had been saved. With how stuck up Cinder had been, trashing a nightclub didn’t seem like something that should be mentioned.

* * *

They drove for fifteen minutes or so into the edge of central Vale, where the night was enjoyed and criminals could easily slip in and out unnoticed. She only used those people for a few months, after passing the entrance exams to Beacon and submitting her transcripts, in order to wrap up her ‘lose ends’. She might have been too excited at the time, and got over her head, but now it was paying off.

The night was on, and fancy people strode in droves to Junior’s club, who had recently been remodeled after her last visit. Yang stopped Bumblebee a few feet away, near some parked cars. She took her helmet, along with Cinder’s, and strapped them securely to some cargo hooks in her bike.

She turned to see Cinder eyeing the establishment, as if scrutinizing it.

“Stay here, I’ll handle this.”

“What?!” Yang looked at her sister with indignation and surprise, while the huntress turned her head with an impassive expression.

“What?” That simple question said it all. Cinder didn’t consider Yang helpful, didn’t trust her abilities.

“I’m not staying here.” She said, standing tall, fists at her sides.

“Yes you are. Things could get ugly.” The way the woman looked at her made her blood boil. Sister or not, no one underestimated her. She was no longer a little girl.

“So? I’ve seen my fair share of ugly things.” She remained cool headed, this was her sister after all. If she left again, because of her, It would destroy the brawler. But she was not one to back down. But neither was Cinder.

“I’m sure you have, but-”

“Cut out the bullshit! You’ve seen me fight, you know how strong I am! I even trashed this place!” She walked closer to her, facing the huntress with everything she had.

“You did?” She asked, all edge from her voice gone, looking between the young brawler and the club, which was in perfect condition. Almost as if brand new. Yang retreated slightly, her lilac eyes widened with shock.

“Uh, yeah. I kinda did.” At this, Cinder smirked, and let out a brief chuckle. This time, the brawler raised an eye.

“Wow. I didn’t trash my first club until after leaving Beacon. I’m impressed.” Yang was at a loss for words now. Her older sister was actually impressed. It felt strange. Yang prided herself in not needing anyone’s approval, walking trough life seeking thrill and paving her way. But Cinder acknowledging her like that felt good.

“And that’s why I’m coming with you!” Yang said, recovering her composure. Cinder’s small smirk vanished, replaced by, once again, narrow eyes and thin mouth.

“Fine. But let me do the talking.”

“I can talk too.”

“More like growl.”

“You’ve been away too long sis. Just watch.” Cinder sighed as they walked to the entrance.

“Fine. But let’s try to get as much info as possible.”

They stepped to the entrance, past a file of people who looked at the sisters with disgruntled expressions. The main bouncer, a tall and wide faunus man with bear features looked at them from above.

“You gotta take the line, ladies.” He growled. Cinder crossed her arms.

“Sorry, but a ‘little spider’ told me to come here. She said to look for M&M.” The bouncer raised an eyebrow before he called someone on his phone.

“Yes, girls. They are looking for you two- Okay. Yes. Of course.” He said into it, before he opened the door to the club.

“Be quick.”

Cinder and Yang looked at each other before stepping into the multicolored, pulsing fray.

  
  


* * *

Junior’s nightclub was different from last time. Whereas the entrance used to be located on an elevated position, with stairs leading down into the main area, now it ascended with the main dance floors on the bottom and top. It was also now grey, colored with a multitude of lights from sources on the glass floors.

Yang liked it. The way it was still illuminated enough to see but dark enough to enjoy dancing. The music blared form speakers all over the place. Maybe she could come here every so often, if they didn’t trash it first that is.

Cinder lead the way trough the stairs to the second floor where some tables along with banks where set up for people to take a rest or order drinks. Near one of the stairs leading up, at the end of a glass hallway waited two girls she recognized. Black haired, one red, one green and white. Yang narrowed her eyes, but they didn’t seem to notice her, entranced in their scrolls.

Both she and Cinder approached the table, and it was then both girls turned to them at the same time.

“You Malachite’s kids?” Asked her sister.

“Indeed. Mother said you needed our services? We are currently working for this establishment.” Said the red one, smiling politely. The white and green one then turned to see Yang, and her face contorted in disgust.

“What is she doing here?” She asked, dismissive and pointing a finger at the brawler. The red one’s smile disappeared when spotting her.

“She’s with me.”

“We’re sorry, but we don’t work with brutes.” Said the white and green one.

“We don’t want your work. We want info.” Said Cinder, taking a seat opposite of them. The sisters glared at the two guests.

“And your boss, I’m sure he has some, if he could hire you.” Yang took a seat alongside Cinder. She returned the glares the two girls gave her.

“And why should we bring him here? He’s a busy man.” Said the red one. Yang leaned a little over the table.

“That’s b-” At that, Cinder stopped her, pulling her back to the seat with a look that said ‘ _watch and learn’_

“I’m a huntress. I’m sure your boss will like not having an investigation on his back. That is, if he proves helpful.” Both malachite sisters looked at each other, as if sharing some mental link, and then looked back at them.

“Wait here.”

“And please, order a drink.”

With that, both girls left them on their own, ascending further into the club. A waiter soon came.

“A Strawberry Sunrise. No ice, and a little umbrella.” Said Yang with a wink.

“You have Monkey Booze?” Cinder asked. The man nodded.

“Recently imported.”

“Then some of that, please.” With that, the waiter went away for a little while before returning for their drinks. The silence was awkward between the sisters, and Yang began to become impatient. No one took this long to get here. Perhaps Junior still didn’t know who he was dealing with.

“Maybe we should look for them.” She suggested, taking a sip.

“Have some patience.” Cinder said, her red and pink drink untouched.

“Patience? That’s rich coming from you.” If she knew Cinder for one thing, it was loosing her temper at the slightest provocations or teasing. It was that similarity why Yang liked her so much.

“Yes. If they don’t come back in five, we trash the place.” At that, Yang laughed a little, and Cinder brought her drink to her lips. She gulped a bunch of the liquid before grimacing a little.

“You okay?” Yang didn’t take alcohol often, but she did once taste Whiskey. It had been horrible. She was not a drinking person. Lucky her, the family knew they didn’t need another drunk uncle.

“Yeah. This stuff burns your throat like nothing else, but it’s so good.” Cinder said, voice slightly hoarse. Yang scooted back from her a little.

“If you say so.” She took another sip, looking around while taping the table. She was about to leave when Cinder asked her a hard question.

“Why did you trash this place, anyways?” Yang looked away.

“Went to have some fun, Junior got a little too hands on.” It was not a lie, not exactly. Cinder narrowed her eyes.

“There are a dozen clubs better than this one. Yet you came to the one with the info brokers. I don’t believe that.” The sarcasm in her tone was palpable. Her sister took another gulp from her drink before her eyes opened in realization.

“Please tell me you weren’t looking for Raven.” The name drop made her heart stop for a moment, and being found out paled her. She got her.

“Well… I mean…” she could lie herself out of this one, but she didn’t like lies. She believed in honesty, and would stick to that.

“Yang. How many times have Tai and Qrow talked to you about this?” Cinder looked at her drink, apparently frustrated.

“Enough.” Yang answered, trying to cut off this conversation. She didn’t need another lecture.

“Doesn’t seem like it if you’re still pulling shit like this.” Cinder still didn’t understand anything about Raven, even after all those years of pouring her heart out to her. She had left, like everyone else. She didn’t have the right to criticize her. And she would let her know.

“Listen, you can’t come here out of nowhere and tell me what to do, or how to live my life. So stuff it.” She glared at her sister, eyes once again red. Cinder glared back. Before their tension could reach it’s peak, a man seated opposite of them, drink in hand.

“So, our ‘little spider’ sent you here. However, I don’t know you…” He said, pointing at Cinder. “… and I don’t like you...” He pointed at Yang. “… So why should I say anything?”

“Because you don’t want to be involved with this. If whoever contracted you is caught, then they’ll trace it back to you. Unless we are the ones to do it. Then you’ll be safe.” Said Cinder, her fingers intertwined under her chin. Junior fixed her with a thoughtful look.

“You’ll keep them off my back.” He repeated.

“No one will know a thing. We get our bad guys, you don’t get messed with. Deal?” Yang’s sister was promising a thug that he would be protected if the cooperated. Huntsmen were supposed to protect people and beat bad guys, but Cinder here was dealing with the bad guys themselves, to catch bigger bads. It was clever, and somewhat worrying. Ruby would not like it, but Yang was willing to do what’s necessary to protect her. To protect Vale.

“Deal. Now speak.” Said Yang, her voice on edge.

“What do you need to know?” He asked.

“Human criminal activity spiked out of nowhere. Did they come from you?” Cinder asked, tone cold.

“Roman Torchwick came to contract some working hands. Like I said, I’m a business man. I deal in product like men, drinks, entertainment and info.” he explained. Yang scoffed.

“And what did he need it for?”

“Stealing dust and moving it.”

“Where?”

“Don’t know. Didn’t ask, since it wasn’t my concern.”

“Was he with the White Fang?” At this Junior paled slightly, leaning back on his seat before answering.

“Yes. He came and told me my guys had been useless. Haven’t seen any of them since.” Yang’s eyes widened at the implication. Cinder was still unfazed.

“Do you know where we can find him?”

“You plan on taking him on? Him, his criminal gang _and_ the White Fang?” He asked with disbelief.

“Indeed.” Junior scoffed.

“Sorry if I don’t trust you on that one.”

“It doesn’t matter. We had a deal, so tell us now.” Now Cinder’s voice was laced with danger, as her eyes narrowed and she leaned forward. She had never seen her sister be so… intimidating. At worst she was reclusive and distant, and when angry it was like a tantrum. This was different. It was badass.

“I don’t know where. He moves his _‘office’_ constantly. But a pal of me worked for him. I can make a call, and then-”

“Do it.” Cinder didn’t let him finish.

“Hello, ladies and gentleman.” Now Yang knew why. Their talk was interrupted by a tall man, dressed in white clothes, his face masked by what one would wear in a ball. Two others were at his side, their faunus tails behind them. Yang tensed, ready to draw Ember Celica.

“We’re kind of busy.” Junior growled.

“We have business with these two here, so unless you want your precious club destroyed, they better come with us.”

“Look pal, If you don’t leave this instant, you’re in for a world of pain. So buzz off.” Yang glared at the faunus, who simply scoffed at her.

“Sorry missy, but the only ones leaving here are you, with us. So get moving.” He said, pointing behind him. Yang looked at her sister, who nodded in return. They may not be as close now, but they could still communicate wordlessly. No bully had ever separated them, and they would not do it now.

Junior tried to move away from the impending battle, but it was too late. Both Cinder and Yang reached below the table and flipped it towards the tall Faunus man, launching him through a glass balcony towards the bottom dance floor. Yang cocked Ember Celica, while Cinder drew Midnight. Both sisters engaged the faunus companions that went down with one punch or slash.

“Oh come on! I just had that fixed!” The sisters turned to junior and the malachite twins, who had remained in their place.

“Be grateful this place isn’t a smoldering pile of ash. If you want to prevent more accidents, then make sure the people get out and no one gets in.” Cinder gave the order, and Junior obeyed, intimidated by the huntress. That was a first. He stepped off with the two girls in tow.

Yang strolled to the whole they made in the balcony, staring down at the dance floor where the tall Faunus stood, recuperated; and he had reinforcements to boot.

“So, how do we do this?” She asked her sister.

“Go crazy, also, watch out for anyone on elevated positions, and keep close to me.” Said her sister, readying midnight. Yang smirked.

“Like a glove.” With that, both sisters jumped down towards their enemies.

* * *

Yang and Cinder landed on the bottom floor with a thud. Ahead of them, was the tall Faunus, who seemed to be a lieutenant of some sort, along with four masked companions. People were already fleeing the scene around them, but without panic. At least Junior was doing a good job.

The Lieutenant reached behind him and pullet a small rectangle that with the push of a button had a blade jut out from it’s inside. Following it’s transformation, a chain came around it’s edge. It was no blade, it was a chainsaw. The faunus revved it in the air, trying to intimidate them.

“I guess Torchwick won’t mind if I deliver you in pieces.” He said. Yang groaned.

“Okay, first off, you’re trying too hard. And second, really? A chainsaw?” The lowered his weapon, clearly irritated.

“She’s right, you know. Makes you look like a brute.” With that comment from Cinder, the Lieutenant shouted and charged forth.

“It’s on!” Yang shot Ember Celica to boost herself against the man and both warriors clashed.

The Lieutenant’s chainsaw came down, but was blocked by Ember Celica, however, it’s revving sent sparks that limited visibility. Yang seized that opportunity by delivering a slug to his abdomen before sweeping the chainsaw away and continuing her onslaught.

Right and left, punch and kick, abdomen, stomach, face. All in rhythm as she wailed on the man, but he refused to fall down. He retreated, he was pushed back, but did not seem to be loosing his balance.

Another slug, another step back. Then, the man raised his fist, and Yang was assaulted by a hail of bullets. It was little more than an inconvenience thanks to her enormous Aura capacity, but it was still distracting, and the force from the bullet impact still could throw someone off it it was the right caliber.

To prove her right, the Lieutenant raised his chainsaw in order to attack. She dodged it easily, but he used his momentum to continue swinging. On her left, two White Fang members approached to flank her. She smirked. She could take them all on.

At that moment, a flash of black and red engaged them. In seconds they were dispatched by Cinder, who moved in to assist her.

Cinder’s fighting style was elegant and brutal. Her attacks flowed from one to another like a stream in a river. The Lieutenant barely had enough time to react and block some of the attacks. The huntress broke his defense and with a finishing kick, he was sent barreling back.

He quickly regained his balance and raised another fist and made a sign. In that moment dozens of white masks emerged from various balconies around the club, aiming their rifles at the sisters.

“Crap!” Yang began firing ember Celica, trying to down them. She hit a few, but a wall of bullets still came upon them.

Yang blocked some shots with her gauntlets while Cinder skillfully deflected them with her swords. The sisters retreated until they found some cover, a small wall rounding the corner of the dance floor. With a jump, both sisters took cover from the onslaught, though Yang could feel the shots tearing into it.

“So what now?” She asked, reloading Ember Celica.

“We need to take out those gunners.” Said Cinder, checking her quiver.

“My Semblance is charged and ready. Just let me at 'em!” She said, eyes red and hair flaming.

“You can’t cut trough all that!” Said Cinder. With a yell, Yang shot the ceiling, opening a path to the top floor.

“Oh.” Yang gave her the best shit-eating grin she had. Seeing it, Cinder grimaced. “Just get moving!” With that, the sisters used their Aura to jump to the next floor.

The White Fang gunners stood no chance against someone who could absorb their bullets with their semblance and a mobile long range attacker. While Yang charged in and smacked them around, Cinder used Midnight in it’s bow form to support her from behind. Every shot hit it’s target, whenever a goon would try to take a shot at her, an arrow would strike them and knock them unconscious.

On the other side, she could see the twins fighting the other row of White Fang goons.

“Good to see those two are not total bitches!” She said to her sister as she took out another enemy.

“Focus, Yang!” She heard from behind.

“I’m focused!” Another enemy out to prove her point. However, as she was about to get on to the next target, she felt something grab her ankle.

“What?!” Looking down, she saw a hand jutting out of the floor, like a zombie in a tacky horror movie. Then, with inhuman force she was pulled down.

“Yang!” She heard her sister scream, but could not see anything as she was smashed into the floor, then a nearby wall, and then thrown away like a rag doll, leaving her face down into the floor. Thanks to her Aura, it hand’t hurt much, but being tossed around was still humiliating. Yang Xiao Long didn’t get tossed, she did the tossing!

She shot ember Celica to get herself up, eyes bright red. A few feet away was the Lieutenant, looking just as pissed as her. His signature weapon was gone, but the way he held his hands like claws communicated his intentions.

She launched forward, fist engulfed in Aura, hair alight. The Lieutenant did the same, except with less effect. Their fists crashed into one another, but Yang’s was stronger, empowered and with a slug added. The man’s aura broke, and his arm launched backwards forcefully with a crunch before falling to his side, limp.

Yet, the Lieutenant was still standing. She had to move but, she had put her all into that attack, every bit of her Semblance. She had burned all of her Aura.

Without a second thought she moved her other fist to attack, but the faunus headbutted her. Her Aura broke, and it hurt. Then a right hook to her face. She spun around, then delivered a kick to the guy’s stomach in a counter attack. He lurched, but shrugged it off like everything else and opted to try and body slam her.

He never had the opportunity. Cinder fell down upon him, grabbing him by the neck and throwing him off balance. She smashed him into the ground, face up. He groaned in pain, holding one of his hands up as Cinder plucked an arrow into the bow.

“Give up.” Her demand was met with a groan, and the man did nothing else to move. It was over.

Yang looked around. The White Fang was either gone or incapacitated. She saw Junior and the twins come over, dropping some bodies near the Lieutenant.

“Goddamn trash. Why do all Faunus cause trouble?” Yang narrowed her eyes at that question. It was not all faunus, just a terrorist organization. This was exactly why Blake was so worried, and it upset her partner.

“Call the police.” Cinder ordered. Junior looked at her, eyes looking up from behind his glasses.

“Did your head get hit hard, lady?” Cinder growled at him.

“I’ll cover for you. These guys need to be in jail, one way or another.” Junior sighed.

“Very well. Also, you two are banned. Forever.” He told the sisters, walking away with the twins in tow.

Yang didn’t care. She didn’t like the place anyways. She walked over to Cinder, who still held her bow tensed.

“What now?” She asked, looking at the wounded Lieutenant, his arm limp at his side. She was used to violence, but she had messed up his arm, as it was bleeding in several places.

“You’re hurt.” Upon hearing this, Yang touched her forehead, feeling something going down it. Upon looking at her bloodied hand, she realized that the Lieutenant was really hard headed.

“I’m fine.” She said, even as pain began to come in pulses.

“If you say so.” Yang didn’t need concern, she could bear the pain and her Aura would fix her up. But still, hearing Cinder being so uncaring hurt.

“Once again. What do we do? We know nothing about where the White Fang is.” Cinder looked at the man, before retracting her bow, but an arrow remained in her hand.

She grabbed the man by the collar and pulled his mask away, revealing a hardened face with several wrinkles and scars, along with a burn mark in his cheek, that clearly read S.D.C. Schnee Dust Company. Yang felt her stomach lurch. So this was what the faunus suffered, and Weiss’ family was involved.

“Where is the White Fang? What are they doing?” Cinder asked, eyes narrow. The man’s only reaction was to groan and spit on her face, hitting her right in the eye, but Cinder didn’t budge.

“I’m not telling you shit, human.” Cinder wiped away the saliva from her face, teeth clenched in anger. She then, in an unusual move, caressed his face. The man flinched away, grimacing at something.

“Know what my semblance is?” Cinder asked, voice calm and airy. The man didn’t react. “I call it Scorching Caress. It allows me to superheat objects I touch.” The huntress grabbed a nearby piece of debris, and in her hand it turned a bright orange color before becoming nearly liquid, only to instantly lose it’s heat and become a black inert rock that fell to the ground.

“So?” The man asked. Cinder smiled, which made a pit form in Yang’s stomach. She would not.

“I never tried it, but I wonder what would happen if I applied it to your face.” That was too horrible. That was not right. Yang’s hand darted toward’s her sisters, grabbing her by the wrist.

“What the heck! You can’t do that! It’s not like you!” The look Cinder gave him was unlike anything she ever saw before. Cold, silent anger. A dark aura around her eyes. This was not her sister. For a moment, Yang considered retreating. Instead, she kept her gaze locked.

Cinder’s gaze softened after a moment, and her hand relaxed. Yang let go, sensing that… dark aura… disappear.

“Then what do you suggest?” As if on cue, a ring came out of the man’s white best. Carefully holding the Lieutenant’s functional arm in place, she searched his clothes for the source of the sound. It was, indeed, a scroll. Made from cheap materials, probably a bootleg and unregistered.

“Here.” her sister threw her the scroll, and Yang touched the answer button under the icon that lacked any kind of profile picture. She then pulled it into her ear, and a young voice came trough.

“ _Boss? You there? We’re waiting in Warehouse H. That Torchwick guy is getting impatient! I know you have your times, but he’s seriously scary. Not like… you’re less scary but… you there?”_ Yang held her nose and deepened her voice.

“Yes, it’s me. Remind me where Warehouse H is?”

“ _What? You’re not…! Shit!”_ With that, the call ended. Yang sighed in exasperation.

“Good job.” Cinder remarked, sarcasm palpable. The brawler glared at her sister.

“At least I did something. Know where Warehouse H is?”

“No Idea. There could be a million warehouses in Vale.” Yang rubbed her chin. Then, she remembered what the rest of their team was doing.

“Weiss and the other are gathering intel on S.D.C shipments. I bet they have the jackpot.” After saying that, Junior returned. The teen could hear sirens blaring outside.

“Cops are here. You done?” He asked. Cinder nodded, letting the faunus man go.

“No time to waste.” She said, ignoring Junior, and heading towards a back door. Yang followed.

“Hey! What about our cover?” Asked Junior as they began leaving the club.

“Just tell them they attacked you? Don’t call us we’ll call you!” Yang yelled as they closed the door behind them, smiling like a devil to Junior. The guy was just too fun to mess with.

* * *

Without complications both sisters managed to reach Yang’s bike, avoiding any questioning by the cops. Now seated comfortably, Yang dialed Weiss.

“ _Schnee here.”_

“ _Hey Weiss Cream? How’s the mission going?”_

“ _Keep it down, you brute! It’s fine, we downloaded the files from the CCT.”_

“ _And?”_

“ _A shipment of fire dust meant for firework manufacturers went missing_ _after being delivered.”_

“ _Where?”_

“ _Warehouse H.”_

“ _Bingo.”_

“ _What?”_

“ _We got into trouble with Cinder here. A Big party. You should’ve come.”_

“ _No thanks, I hate clubs. What happened then?”_

“ _Just a little scuffle, but we got some info. The White Fang are in Warehouse H.”_ Upon mentioning this, she heard some voices in the background of the phone call.

“ _Those b-b-be-I mean, those scound- no, no- ummm, those baddies will pay! Yeah, that works.”_ Yang had to contain her laughter at the heiress attempts not to sound discriminating.

“ _Is Blake there?”_

“ _Yes. So, Warehouse H. We have the address.”_

“ _Send it.”_

“ _Alright. Meet you there, we’ll come with Ruby, Blake_ _and Sun.”_

“ _See you there, Ice Queen.”_

“ _See you.”_ With that, the call was over. Yang turned to Cinder, who was waiting near a lamppost.

“So?”

“I have the address, we just have to wait for the gang.” She saw her sister’s eyes widen for a moment, before returning to their apparently natural narrowed state.

“We have to go now.” Cinder stepped away from the post and walked towards the bike, grabbing a second helmet.

“I don’t doubt we’re kickass enough to take them on, but why not wait? Safety in numbers?” She asked. Cinder looked at her, with what seemed like sadness.

“You know how sometimes you have to take more than you can, for others? This is the same.” Yang looked away. She understood. She had raised Ruby herself, she couldn’t be a kid, not totally anyway. Cinder had helped immensely with that, they both had shared that burden. But she also wanted to move away for that, to feel like it wasn’t just the two of them against the world.

But as long as she had her big sister, she could do it one last time.

“Alright, let’s go.” With a smile, Cinder put on the helmet, and both sisters drove into the night; towards Warehouse H.

* * *

What did Dust smell like? It was a powerful stench, like a construction site and coal. Once you worked a long enough in SDC mines, one’s nostrils were ruined forever. Or so Roman Torchwick was told. He was thankful that the smell wouldn’t last much longer. The second to last shipment was being taken away. The White Fang where working well for a change.

He heard footsteps trough all the echo in the warehouse, and turned around to see it’s source. A scrawny looking recruit, flailing his arms around like an idiot.

“Trouble! We’ve got trouble!” He screamed, going to him and leaning on his legs for support.

“Alright, calm down. You’re going to make this place smell like a locker room. What happened?” He asked, irritated.

“The boss… He’s failed. They got him.” He said between pants.

“Who got him? Cops?” He asked, voice calm. Taurus had promised his lieutenant was the most loyal and powerful member of his group in the Fang. His right hand man. It made him feel confident in his choice of right hand woman.

“No. Some, girl. She tried to make a deep voice. She was a terrible at it.” If it wasn’t serious, he would have snickered. Only one person was willing to be that openly ridiculous. Maybe two.

“Little Red’s coming. Looks like your gambit payed off, old man.” Said Torchwick, turning around to the remaining bullhead. Nearby, an old man sat on a stack of white boxes like some lazy teenagers trying to look cool.

“Of course it did. Know your enemy, and the result of every battle becomes apparent.” The criminal rolled his eyes at the speech.

“Yeah, yeah. A shame to sacrifice such a buff dude, though.”

“It had to happen. Now, we have our target on it’s way, without needing to move a finger.”

“You sure like that.”

“I’m too old for running around.” Torchwick narrowed his eyes at this. The man was old, lanky, like a twig. Yet carried a simple longsword everywhere. He had not seen him fight, but heard some tales.

“You have this, right?”

“Of course. They are children. They are confident, stupid, prone to anger and fear. They’ll lose.”

“Just make sure the one with Silver eyes ends up alive, okay?” He said with irritation. The man stood up from the boxes, hand resting on the sword at his hip.

“Of course. Otherwise, I would not be called Master Isshin.” With that said, Isshin smiled.

That grin sent chills down his spine. No huntsman lived to be old unless they retired. But he lived, and kept fighting. He was confident in his victory. Perhaps too much.

Roman Torchwick sincerely hoped he would die; for underestimating everyone else with that smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Can you catch the Sekiro references? Besides Isshin that is. I’m not very good at writing fights, to any tips on that are appreciated. Next chapter, Yang and Cinder arrive at Warehouse H to stop Roman Torchwick. Also, I've figured out what Good!Cinder's theme would be, I'll reveal it next chapter.
> 
> That is all. See you later!


	7. Hot Wind Blowing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cinder and Team RWBY face Roman Torchwick at Warehouse H

Yang’s bike skidded to a stop a dozen meters before the large fenced entrance to a warehouse complex in the more outlying area of Vale, in the direction of the mountain range that protected it from Grimm.

“This is the place?” Cinder looked at her sister, orange helmet doing it’s best to hide her wild mane of hair.

“Your friend’s directions say so.” She said, taking off her own helmet.

“Looks deserted.” Yang commented, leaving the bike parked near a lamppost.

“That’s what worries me. A complex such as this should have at least one sleep deprived guard.” The huntress walked towards the entrance that had an empty security boot.

“White Fang?” Yang asked, putting her hands on her hips. Cinder neared a metal linked fence and touched it with her hand. It quickly started turning a bright orange colour and hissing before it fell apart. Soon, there was a sizzling hole in it.

“Most likely. Come on.” With that order, both sisters entered the compound. It was like any other storing complex, with various large silos and garages and warehouses separated by streets and alleys. Each place was marked by a letter and number except the first which was only a letter, and there seemed to be no activity coming from any of them. Everything was as silent as the night.

Cinder looked above, behind, at the sides and even below, all in search of a trap or an ambush.

“Relax Sis, we got this.” Said Yang, who was walking more causally than her, without a care in the world. It was one thing to be confident in your skills and another to think you were invincible. Yang did the latter, and that irritated the huntress. Wearing her heart on her sleeve, moving forwards without stopping was something that Cinder liked about Yang, but if those traits led to her being hurt while her elder sister did nothing, Cinder would not be able forgive herself.

“Yang, I know we have this; but we need to be careful. Not everything can be faced head on with brute force.” At this, her sister scowled.

“It has worked so far.” Cinder looked over her shoulder with narrowed eyes.

“And when it doesn’t? What then? That wound should have taught you a lesson.” She said, pointing at Yang’s forehead. The brawler touched it and winced slightly. It was little more than a purple bruise now, perfectly hidden behind her fringe. It would be healed completely come the next day.

“It was just an accident. A slip up. It won’t happen again.” Cinder now turned towards Yang completely, fixing her with a hard stare.

“You cannot guarantee that. No one can. What would happen if you died because you are careless? What would Ruby think?” She said, her voice losing her level tone. Yang looked at her with widened eyes, then her expression turned soft and a small smile appeared on her face.

“I’m glad you are worried about me, but I can take care of myself. I already told you.” Cinder relaxed, if just a bit. She needed a cool head for this. It was true. The small girl she met all those years ago had grown into a strong warrior. That’s why she thought that, maybe, she could leave things to her. But being with her again made something inside her fail to see that.

“I just want to make sure.” With that, Cinder once again turned around and began walking. They still had a mission after all. Sister talk could wait.

Warehouse E was empty. Warehouse F was also empty. Warehouse G was filled with red containers from Vacuo.

They crossed another gap between buildings when Cinder noticed a figure in one of the rooftops. Then another, and one more. All wearing white masks, wielding firearms. She ducked behind a corner, and signalled Yang to come over quickly. The brawler did so a little more lazily than she expected.

“Did you see them?” Asked her sister.

“Yeah. At least three of them.” She answered, peeking once again to confirm her suspicion.

“So we found them. Is that really Warehouse H?” Cinder leaned forwards a little, and caught the big white letter on the side of the building.

“This is it.” She heard some sort of weapon being loaded behind her.

“Let’s do this.” Said Yang as she stepped casually out of cover, Ember Celica raised towards the air like a power lifter flexing muscles. The huntress quickly yanked her sister’s collar, dragging her back and almost making her lose her balance.

“Wow. You’re strong.” She commented, rubbing her neck. Cinder limited herself to glare at her.

“We did this your way at the club. Now we do it my way.” Yang frowned, but Cinder did not care. Her former teammates had many times objected to her plans for being reckless, ruthless or not conforming to their tastes. She never once cared, and never once did they fail.

“So what do we do then?” She asked.

“Help me get on the roof.” Cinder drew Midnight, and in a swift motion stuck the ends of the pommels together. They clicked, and then both blades were facing opposing directions, perfectly lined up. A nail shot downwards from the upper sword and connected a string to the bottom sword. The blades sectioned, allowing them to curve.

She looked at Yang, who nodded while cupping her hands downwards. The huntress ran to her, and her sister lifted her. Enhanced by Aura, Cinder was propelled towards the rooftop. She landed near a large ventilator, and hid behind it.

White Fang security was scarce. They only had six members watching one roof. No guards or anything in adjacent ones. Either they were confident, or almost done with their mission. Regardless, Cinder decided they had to speed things up.

She drew six arrows from her quiver. The huntress carried a variety of them, all infused with different types of dust to deal with multitude of situations. Her most common being fire and regular steel arrows for Grimm and bandits no one would care about. However, sometimes as a huntress she had to take down targets alive, such as wanted criminals.

In those cases, lightning arrows and ice arrows became useful. This time, she needed to knock them down into the ground. Lightning was the best choice.

She leaned over the ventilation unit, doing her best to stay hidden. She drew her bow, towards the closes White Fang guard who was watching in her general direction. She took a breath, fixed her eyes on her target, and channeled some aura into her arrow. As she let go if it, it became engulfed in yellow bolts as it flew towards her target.

The guard was electrocuted, convulsed, and then fell to the ground. This caught the attention of two others, but Cinder was already firing, knocking them both out as well. One more noticed, and pointed his weapon everywhere. She took that one down as well. Two more were oblivious, and never saw her lightning arrows come.

When all of them were down, she looked down from the rooftop, at the waiting Yang. She gestured her to come up. With a single, aura enhanced jump Yang was at her side. They approached the edge of Warehouse H. They could see the lights were still on.

The sisters jumped into the rooftop proper. Cinder scanned the guards, making sure all of them were unconscious before heading towards a skylight with Yang in tow.

She peered inside, and it almost was what she expected. A few trucks being loaded with various metal boxes painted white and red who were strewn about in piles. Their design, red stripes and metallic material signalled it was fire dust of some sort, that was well contained for distribution. The trucks were civilian, and anyone would not pay them any mind if they crossed the street. However, there was something else. A gigantic wooden box, strapped to a wheeled platform with ropes. She could not imagine what sort of thing they had in there.

“There! It’s Torchwick! We got him.” Yang hissed, pointing towards the man with red hair and bowler hat. He was talking to a White Fang member, near one of the truck doors.

“What do we do?” Yang asked. Cinder took a moment, grabbing her chin while looking at the situation in front of them.

Two armed guards at each entrance to the warehouse. Front was closed, back open. The other ten to fifteen White Fang members were too focused on moving the boxes. And they did it with some care, meaning it was the refined, volatile form of Dust. They could not fire their weapons without killing everyone. That gave her an idea.

“Alright. We go for Roman. Take out his companion.”

“And the others?”

“They won’t be able to do much. Any sort of stray shot will blow this place to the beyond. Which means you too have to be careful.” Cinder explained, pointing to Ember Celica at the end of her sentence.

“Don’t worry sis. Fisting is my specialty.” Cinder’s brow raised, while Yang took some time to realize what she just said.

“You know what I meant.” Cinder chuckled at her sister’s blush. Leave it to yang to talk without a care for implications.

“Let’s do this.” With that, Cinder positioned herself in the skylight as close to the thief, and dropped in front of him. Yang did the same, falling onto a guard who was knocked out immediately. As she landed, Cinder sniped every close White Fang member that dared draw their weapons towards them. However, a few remained. The woman beside Torchwick panicked as she took cover inside the truck, but the kingpin didn’t make a move.

After a few tense moments, Roman Torchwick turned towards them, lips slightly curled upwards as the two huntresses drew their weapons.

“Well if it isn’t Blondie. Where’s Little Red?” That was not the answer Cinder was expecting. Surprise, fear, confidence, all of those were possible when dealing with criminals like him. But this was almost like he was expecting them, or at least expecting her little sister. She was instantly put on alert, knocking an arrow in her bow, aimed at his head.

“She’s not here. And you’re coming with us.” Said Yang, reading one Ember Celica to fire, while de other was in front of her as a form of defence.

“I’m afraid that’s not going to happen. I have places to be, you know.” he said, turning around. Cinder hated overconfident people, strutting around like they knew everything and everyone. She let her arrow lose, scrapping his face and landing near the truck.

“Next one goes to your head, or your balls. So you better come with us, now.” She said, drawing another shot.

“And you are…” He said, looking at her with narrowed eyes.

“Cinder.”

“Nice name. Did you get it at Edge Academy? Not like I care. However, I do have some dust to deliver. But don’t worry, there is someone who wishes to meet you girls. I’ll leave you to him.” He said, climbing into the truck and taking his hat off for a moment. She saw the other White Fang members climb inside the trucks and start the engines.

“Oh no you don’t!” Yang ran towards the truck that Roman was boarding while Cinder aimed for the tires, but their attacks were blocked by a gust of air. Without a hitch, Torchwick made his escape as the trucks skidded and drifted from the exit, leaving the sisters behind.

Now in the empty warehouse with the left behind dust crates, Cinder could do nothing but stare in shock at the new arrival.

“Master Isshin.” She whispered, lowering her weapon. Clad in white Mistralian robes, half bald head with a bun, decrepit and wrinkled body that looked like a twig with a katana on his hip. Yes, this was the same Isshin she trained and met with.

“That old sucker is here?” Yang asked.

“It’s been some time Xiao Long. It seems you still haven’t learned respect.” he said, stopping a few meters in front of them. Cinder’s hand trembled slightly, but she managed to maintain her passive expression. ‘Gramps’ was here, not to stop Torchwick, but to stop them.

She turned towards Yang slightly, always with her gaze on her opponent.

“Yang. Where are Ruby and the others?” Her sister looked at her with widened eyes, before pulling her scroll for a moment. Isshin did nothing but stand there, smirking a bit. His eyes were so small it was hard to tell their colour or intent.

“At the entrance.” Isshin reacted at the news, almost like it was a good thing. Her heart was, for a moment, caught in her throat. What did a monster like him want with Team RWBY?

“Get out of here.” She told her sister.

“What?”

“Go with Ruby, and stop Roman. He can’t have gone too far, the streets are too packed.”

“I’m not letting you face him alone! I’m not gonna get…”

“Are you a huntress or not?!” She asked her sister with a shout. Yang recoiled at the tone of voice.

“What?” Her sister’s voice was but a whimper.

“You have to do what must be done. You have to put me aside and stop Torchwick. I’ll deal with this.” That was not the truth at all. Yes, Yang would be of great help. But, she had to face her old Master on her own. She had trusted him, everyone did. She could not let this old bastard make a fool out of her.

“I’ll come back.”

“You will not. Now go.” She could see the hurt in Yang’s face. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was beating her opponent. Keeping her sisters safe.

With no more words, Yang ran out of the scene. Isshin made no attempts to stop her. Cinder once again made eye contact with the Huntsman.

“Isshin. Why?” She asked simply, returning Midnight to it’s swords form.

“Why indeed.” He answered, closing his eyes and drawing his engraved long sword. He was a traditionalist, he didn’t have a transforming weapon, or a sidearm. “I told you girl. You hesitate, and you lose.” He got into a stance, sword held in the middle of his body pointing forward.

Cinder did the same, except with one sword upfront, and the other reared back. He was not answering, merely dodging the question. That infuriated her more. “Was the pay so bad that you became a petty criminal? Willing to work with terrorists?” She asked. At this, Isshin laughed with all his heart like he had heard a good joke. The huntress retreated slightly, unsure of his next action.

“Oh girl. You think I’m a criminal? Far from it. That pompous asshole is just an insufferable ally. Nothing more. My aims are much bigger.”

“Then what do you want?”

“What my mistress wants. And that, is for Beacon to fall, and the girl with silver.” Cinder felt her heart stop for a moment. He, and Tochwick, wanted Ruby. For what reason, she did not know. She knew the legend of the Silver Eyes, but that was it. A legend. Or perhaps… that’s why Summer never came home. If she let this monster alive, then, not only her family, but all those students at Beacon that she totally didn’t care about would be in danger.

Fighting for her pride, her anger and other’s safety. A very convenient combination to justify taking a life.

“She’ll be disappointed.” She said.

“Hmm. Perhaps. Or maybe…” He bent his knees. It was slight, but she caught sight of it. In a blur, he was clashing swords with her. “… You’ll be the one disappointing her.” He said, now face to face with her. Despite his age, he could push back against Midnight.

With a snarl, Cinder kicked him back and readied her swords. Isshin recovered, holding his sword one handed, goading her to attack.

After a moment, the two huntsmen assaulted each other once again, intent on killing their opponent.

* * *

Ruby ran ahead, using her semblance to boost herself trough the rooftops of Vale, watching out for enemies in the vicinity. Behind her were Weiss, Blake and a member of a Team from Haven Academy whose name was Sun Wukong. She didn’t know much about him, but he wanted to come along and was very insistent, so she allowed it. More hands on deck was always better.

Facing the mountains of Vale she found the location they were looking for, a large row of Warehouses behind a fence. Ruby landed in front of it, hesitating at the sight. How were they supposed to find it?

Nearby, she saw a flash of orange, and her hopes were lifted. Yang had left Bumblebee nearby, meaning she was waiting for them. But… had she also gone ahead?

She heard footsteps behind her. The remaining members of her team had already caught up with her.

“Anything?” Sun asked, barely winded.

“We found the place. Looks like Yang was here before us.” Blake said, pointing to the bike.

“Then where is that brute?” Weiss asked in the middle of taking breaths.

“She probably went ahead. Look.” Ruby neared the fence, were a sizable was carved on it. Her sister was alone, fighting by herself.

“We gotta hurry!” She said, using her Semblance to pass trough. She did not care about subtlety, she had to help her sister. She trusted Yang, she knew she was strong, but she was also reckless. She needed to be there for her.

But the first corner she rounded, she crashed into someone, landing them both onto the floor. Regaining her senses, she found herself on something… comfortable. And warm.

“Sis, I know my pillows are ice, but we gotta get up.” She heard Yang’s familiar voice as she was lifted and put upright by her sister.

“What’s going on Yang?” Ruby asked as the rest of her companions joined them.

“There you are! Why did you rush ahead?!” Weiss asked, giving the blonde a glare.

“We found Torchwick.” Yang pointed behind her, towards the ‘street’ lined up with Warehouses that were both numbered and inscribed with a letter.

“We?” Blake asked.

“Cinder came along.” At this, Ruby began looking around for her second favourite person. If she was here, then everything would be fine.

“Where?” Asked the red reaper.

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Torchwick is escaping in civilian trucks! We gotta chase after them!” Said Yang, heading towards the entrance.

“But what about Cinder?”

“She can take care of herself.” Yang was right. Cinder was a powerful huntress, but even so, Ruby could not fathom leaving her on her own.

“We have to help her!” She argued. Her sister stopped dead in her tracks, but did not turn to face her.

“No, we need to do what’s right. Stopping Torchwick is what a huntress would do.” It was a low blow, to appeal to the duty of a huntress. But Yang was also right. She had to catch Torchwick, and also help her sister.

“We could do both. Split up.” Blake suggested.

“That’s right! Like me and my clones!” Sun added.

“What do your clones have to do with anything?” Blake’s deadpan was almost hilarious. That, and Ruby felt happy that at least she was taking her side for a change.

“Well, sometimes I split them. It works wonders. We could do the same.” He said, rubbing the back of his head with a smile.

“He’s right, in a way. We shouldn’t leave Cinder alone. Even if she’s capable, huntsmen should stick together. Otherwise, why would they insist on us being on teams?” Weiss suggested. Ruby smiled at her friend, and then focused her mind. They were wasting time.

“Alright. Yang, Blake, Sun, go after Torchwick.” Blake and Sun nodded, while Yang wordlessly walked towards Bumblebee.

“Weiss, you and I are going to help Cinder.” Weiss nodded. Ruby forgot to say _please_ or _Is that okay?_ ; but she was also the leader. They had to follow her.

“Got it.” With that said. Both groups split. Weiss and Ruby rounded the corner and drew their weapons as they ran towards Warehouse H. She did not know what battle awaited her, but she was excited, as out of place as it was, to fight alongside her sister.

What else could she be fighting other than White Fang members?

* * *

( **A/N: Play “Bad Apple” from Touhou. Preferably the english cover by RichaardEB.** **)**

Sparks flew as blurs of silver flew against each other. One long blade clashing against two short ones. The young huntress attack at every chance, but was always intercepted by another incoming attack from the older huntsman. She was an aggressive and brutal combatant, so having another fighter one up her in that category was making her angry, and prone to mistakes.

An attack came faster than her counter, and she reeled back to avoid it to no avail. The blade scrapped against her aura as she jumped back. But the old man did not give reprieve. With another twist of his knees he flew at her as if pushed by the very wind.

She blocked the attack, was pushed back by sheer force, and then engaged again. Isshin truly was a monster. His technique left no openings and targeted the limbs to immobilize both humans and Grimm. A slip would mean an arm was lost. Or worse, her head.

If this were an honourable duel, she would stand no chance. But Cinder was not honourable in the slightest. She still had tricks under her sleeve. She parried an attack, and used the opportunity to kick him in the stomach. The man avoided it and countered with a trust that she avoided. This was her chance.

She reached for her gauntlet in the right hand, and grabbed an object she had stored in there. A small compartment holding small paper cylinders filled with small fire dust crystals. These were not volatile, and they needed some amount of energy to activate. She used her semblance and aura to charge and spread them towards her opponent. Soon, they glowed red and ignited. Loud, deafening bangs where heard as orange lights flared in front of his eyes. No damage was done, but Isshin was confused and forced to retreat while covering his eyes.

“Firecrackers,” he hissed. Cinder smirked, and jumped into the cloud of explosions that was ending, forcing her swords forward in a stabbing motion.

Isshin blocked them of course, but he was now in the defensive.

“Cheeky little girl,” the old man growled, but also smiled.

“You always taught us to prepare for anything. Maybe start following your own advice!” She forced the sword away and elbowed him on the face. Yes, he had a powerful semblance and technique, along a large amount of aura, but he was still and old man, and she a young fit woman.

Isshin stumbled back, grabbing his face. Cinder transformed midnight and readied an ice arrow. At best, he would be frozen in place, at worst, he’d die a popsicle.

However, her projectile never reached it’s target. A gust of wind coming from the staggered old man swept it away.

“Tch.” Cinder cursed, knocking another arrow on her bow.

“I see you want to get serious. Very well.” Isshin recovered as the huntress let out a barrage of arrows in rapid succession. She needed to keep him pinned. However, not even that was enough. Isshin took a stance, holding his sword at length towards his left side. She could feel the air coil around it as extreme pressure began building up.

Isshin’s semblance was named ‘Projected Force’ by the students. He could accumulate air and pressure and release it trough his body and weapons. There was no blocking it. You either avoided it, or ended up like sliced meat.

The old man swung, and a distortion flew towards her. Cinder jumped out of the way in a combat roll before readying another arrow. But it was already too late, the man was already on her. She could not detransform midnight in time. She was stuck with a bow on a sword fight.

The slashes came. Her bow could block them well enough, but it could damage the mechanism. She had to take a risk.

She dodged a slash and used her bow to strike him. He blocked it, and she knocked an electric arrow while he held the weapon in place. It would hit him on the face, if he hadn’t pushed the bow away.

He struck with his semblance enhanced palm, throwing her back. Then he charged another air slash. She could not evade in time. So she did the second best thing. She blocked it, holding her bow vertically in front of her.

The strike was strong. Like a steel wall falling on you and pushing back. Sparks flew from her bow as if a saw was trying to cut trough it, and it did. Midnight separated and the huntress was struck, flying trough the air into a bunch of boxes. Her aura had broken, and she was barely holding to her consciousness as Isshin strode towards her, a shadow over his eyes.

“Farewell.” He raised his sword to finish her. But even in her final moments, Cinder still looked for a way out. A plan, a chance, something no one had seen. But there was nothing.

Suddenly, Isshin’s head shot back as something flew past his face from his right side, followed by a shot ringing out. Then two more. He jumped back, and then blocked one, but the force behind it pushed him.

Cinder looked towards her left, and saw her saviour. Ruby, along with the Schnee girl, stood out with their weapons drawn.

“No…” She whispered, trying her best to get up. Her sister was going to get killed. Her chest hurt horribly, along a stinging sensation. She looked down, and saw a pulsing red stroke across it. Isshin’s attack had gone trough her Aura. Blood gushed out, but it did not seem to have hit anything vital other than muscle.

“Cinder!” Ruby shot once more, forcing the old huntsman to retreat as she went to her side, alongside her friend. “You okay?” She asked upon reaching her.

“Get out of here.” She groaned.

“Don’t worry sis. We got this.” Ruby smiled. It was misplaced, she could not win this. She was defenceless against him.

“Professor Isshin, why?” Weiss asked, stepping forward with Myrtenaster raised. The old Master lowered his weapon, eyes now shadowed by the fact he had to kill two young people.

“I grow tired of that question. It does not matter now. But…” he pointed his sword towards Ruby. “… Come with me, and both your friends may leave.” At this proposition, Ruby narrowed her eyes.

“No.” Was her answer. Once again, Isshin’s brow furrowed.

“Fine. Then I’ll kill them, and then take you by force. Prepare.” He went into the same stance again. Cinder had to do something. Help her sister, but the only thing her body gave her was pain and blood.

“Stay still, please!” Weiss sounded, worried. Why? For her?

Both girls stood their ground, watching the old man as he remained in his position. Both sides were still, waiting for someone to make a move. Ruby and Weiss were the first to do so.

Ruby shot sniper round while Weiss dashed forward with her glyphs, engaging Isshin in melee combat with a barrage of thrusts that the old man easily parried. It didn’t take long for the offensive to shift. However, upon noticing that, Weiss used a gravity glyph to push Isshin down.

A bullet hit him in the head while he was down, followed by an assault from both girls.

With a shout of rage, a gust of wind pushed the huntresses-in-training away. Isshin sheathed his sword, ready to unleash his semblance once again. Not wanting to give him time to recover, Ruby used her own to dash forward and attack.

The moment Ruby’s scythe neared him, Isshin lifted one foot and stomped on the blade. The loss of momentum translated to Ruby, and her weapon was dropped. The old man dashed forwards once again, and not bothering to unsheathe his sword. The huntsman proceeded to use various palm and knee strikes to assault her sister.

Not only that, but he was boosting himself with his semblance. She could hear Ruby cry out and gasp as she was pummelled without mercy. Cinder struggled to upright herself, and caught a glimpse of Midnight. One blade was bent and damaged, but the other seemed fine. She picked it up, and tried her best to get up.

* * *

Ahead of her, Isshin was about to deliver another kick to Ruby, who had her aura nearly depleted and was panting on the ground. He loved beating overconfident people into the curb.

A flash of white interrupted him. Weiss had used her glyphs to move at high speeds and strike. She held Myrtenaster with one hand on the hilt, another under the blade; then she boosted herself again, dashing like a missile and thrusting with her weapon. Isshin was caught off guard and took the hit. Weiss dug her heels and stopped her momentum before quickly dashing again.

One, two, three and many more flashes of white attacked Isshin from all directions, knocking him off balance like some dummy nailed to the ground. He was no dummy however. He began to focus, and identified a pattern. She would strike north to south, south to east, east to north, east to south, and then…

He struck west, and caught the Schnee with a fist to her stomach, stopping al movement. He was not done, as he used his semblance and delivered a point blank blast of air. The girl was blown away towards a nearby pillar, breaking both it and her aura. She then fell to the ground, without a twitch or breath.

“WEISS!”

* * *

Cinder heard the scream. She barely managed to stand up as she saw Weiss Schnee, a very skilled huntress-in-training that her sister seemed to like dearly, get launched into a pillar and left unconscious. She was a Schnee, an Atlas elite, and yet, she was Ruby’s partner. Ruby’s friend. And her student. It was unforgivable.

Isshin moved towards Ruby, who was now disarmed, unable to reach her Scythe as it was too near her opponent. At the very least she was putting up a very basic boxing stance mimicking Yang’s own.

“Nothing without your weapon. How disappointing. I taught you kids better, but you always ignored me. You lot truly are doomed.” he said with disgust as he neared the Red Reaper. Cinder would not allow it.

She swallowed her pain, her need to reduce it by screaming or hitting something. She had one last thing. She ran, as fast as her legs could carry her. Isshin saw her coming, hand to his sword, ready to deliver a fatal blow.

She threw her firecrackers at him. And once again, he was distracted by the loud noises and lights, but not stunned. She saw his blade cut trough them, aiming for her head. She ducked and jumped forwards as the cloud disappeared.

Isshin also saw that, and grabbed her right hand, stopping the working half of Midnight. Relishing his victory, he drew his katana, ready to slice her in half. But she expected that, and grabbed his wrist.

They were locked in that struggle for a moment, neither warrior willing to give in. Yet, Cinder was not done. She used her last bit of Aura that had regenerated, and used her semblance on the hand that held his sword. His hand heated up, sizzling and smoking. The old man let out a scream while doing his best to hold on to his weapon; but in the end he dropped it.

She slammed her head on his. His aura was depleted. She tore her right hand from her wrist, and thrust Midnight towards his stomach. With no Aura, he had no semblance, and no defense. He was just an old man at that point.

Midnight plunged deep into his chest as Cinder leaned her entire body into it. It reminded her of that night. The night she stabbed her step sister trough the chest.

With a gasp, she quickly retracted her sword. Isshin grabbed his wound with one hand, but the blood came out anyways trough it and his mouth as he stumbled forwards, still intent on fighting her. She dashed behind him and raised Midnight. He was still a danger.

There were memories. Of course, there were memories with everyone, including her step family from Atlas. But… with Isshin, she had some good ones. And even some of the bad ones had some fondness in them. She really was going to end all of that. Even if he was a traitor, could she do it?

Of course she could, she had already done so. Yet…

“Forgive me, Master Isshin.” She brought down the weapon, slashing his back. He fell to the ground with a loud and dry sound.

“You’ve… gotten strong… Cinder…” That was his last breath. He was dead.

**(A/N: Song end.)**

But that didn’t matter. What mattered was her sister.

She looked where she last saw her, panting. There, near some crates, she was sitting on her knees, looking at her with wide eyes. Her horrified gaze made her chest tighten. Still, the huntress dashed towards her.

“Ruby?” She grabbed her shoulders. She was shaking.

“You killed him…” Of course she did. Huntsmen killed. Sometimes, you killed to protect someone else. Or so they told them on the later years once they undertook missions closer to the ‘real’ thing. Yet, Ruby had also skipped two years. She was not ready.

“I did. I had to. Look at me…” She cupped her face, trying to make her eyes focus. And they did, but on something else.

“Weiss!” Ruby left her hands, dashing towards the unconscious girl. Cinder did the same. They could talk later.

Ruby kneeled near her partner, and shook her slightly. As Cinder arrived, the shaking stopped.

“She’s not… waking.” At her fearful words, the older sister kneeled, turned the heiress around and touched a little along her chest and neck.

“She’s alive. Her Aura was depleted too fast, that’s all. We can move her.” She heard Ruby breathe a sigh of relief, before gasping again.

“You’re hurt.” Said the Red Reaper. Cinder looked at her chest wound, still dark red but no longer bleeding. Her aura had helped some on that, but it still hurt a lot.

“I’m fine. Come on, let’s get out of here.” Without another word, Ruby and Cinder carried Weiss out of the empty warehouse.

“What now?” Ruby asked. Before Cinder could answer, they heard the sound of spinning blades. Soon after, a gust of wind was felt. A bullhead was coming, shining it’s lights upon them.

Ruby readied the recovered Crescent Rose, but out of the door came Glynda Goodwitch, with a frown deep enough that it accentuated the minimal wrinkles age had given her.

“Professor?” Ruby asked, confused.

“Get in. I want to hear all about this.”

* * *

Yang speeded trough the streets, avoiding traffic lights, civilians and street level police officers. Blake grabbed tightly to her waist, while Sun Wukong was barely holding onto the tail of the motorbike. She did not like him touching her baby, but they had no choice.

“Anything!?” She yelled.

“No!” Yang cursed internally. Had they missed them?

“There! Over there!” Sun pointed towards a diagonal street that cut trough an avenue. Out of sight went an innocuous van pulling a platform with an enormous wooden box on it. The same as she saw on the warehouse.

“Here we go!” Yang accelerated, avoiding cars on her way. They reached the van in no time, and it was alone.

“You’re up!” With a nod, Blake and Sun sat up and balanced on the bike before Yang drove near their objective and both teens jumped off. Yang would have too if not for a nearby car forcing her to back away from the van.

They entered a long tunnel, and Two White Fang goons climbed out of the vehicle’s cabin, while two motorcycles began flanking Yang. There were no nearby cars, so they had more mobility, but the brawler also had the liberty to act without fear of civilian harm.

She fired one shot at one of them, making the bike go skidding on the floor along it’s rider. The other drew out a small sword and tried to slice at the huntress-in-training. Yang ducked, and proceeded to fire at him, making the bike also go down.

Yang laughed, relishing in her victory, before more motorcycles popped up, all manned by masked individuals.

“I hope Blake and Sun are having a better time.”

* * *

Blake dodged another strike, using her clone as a distraction. This opened the door for Sun to deliver a kick that sent their opponent into the street.

“I hope that dude’s okay!” Blake groaned at his naivety. That man was not okay, but he chose this. One enemy remained. He began firing at their position. Blake deflected the shots and rushed his position, engaging him in close combat with Gambol Shroud.

"Watch out!” She heard Sun scream. Behind them, a street sign was approaching, way too close to the Van’s roof. Suddenly, Blake was knocked to the ground by a glowing figure, and the White Fang member was knocked off by the sign. “You okay?” She heard Sun ask, trying to keep his balance.

“Thanks! We gotta stop this, come on!” She said, advancing towards the front of the van. Suddenly, it began jerking from one side to another as they exited the tunnel into an avenue.

“Woah!” Sun once again lost his balance as he was thrown around by the hard curves the van was making.

“Hold on!” Blake said. She had better balance, and could stick Gambol Shroud into the roof to keep her balance. Slowly she reached the front, and reached for the open right side door.

The woman driving looked at her in surprise before going for a weapon near a cup holder. As she did, Blake stomped on her hand before drawing Gambol Shroud’s gun form.

“Stop the truck!” She yelled, pointing the gun at her.

“Traitor! You betrayed our cause, Adam should have never trusted you.” Blake froze at the mention of that name. Adam knew where she was? How? What would he do with that info? No, it did not matter now. She shook her head and once again pointed her gun at her head.

“I said stop!” The woman kept driving. She could end it now, but, she did not want to hurt anyone, not anymore. So she grabbed the wheel, twisting it in order to make the van make a sharp turn and stop.

But the woman was strong, she was not letting her do it completely. Blake looked at the windshield, and saw a bunch of Faunus gathered around, protesting for something.

Both women cursed as they tried to stop the speeding van.

It turned, it’s wheel stopped, but it was not enough as the vehicle drifted. The crowd, seeing the threat, scattered before the van tipped due to the weight inside of it. It hit the ground, and slid while sending sparks and smoke everywhere. The cabin shook both women around like pinballs before the vehicle ground to a halt in front of the stairs to some place.

Blake ended up atop the woman, who was unconscious. The shook her head. She was alright, the vehicle was tipped, but she was fine. She had to get the woman out of there. She heard the door facing the sky open.

“Blake! You okay?” Sun asked, giving her a hand.

“I’m fine. Take her.” She said, grabbing the surprisingly light White Fang member and lifting her towards him. Sun did as he was told, before reaching again and pulling her out of the Van.

They were in the middle of the street, surrounded by shocked and terrified Faunus protesters, along with the sounds of sirens and mutterings. Blake looked behind her, at the mess they had made.

“You guys are crazier then me.” She glared at Sun for his comment.

“Not the time. We need to find Yang and get out of here.” She said, looking again at the crowd.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Said a voice. Both teens froze, held in place by an invisible force.

“What?! My body…”

“Relax, Miss Belladona. Just a safety measure. Now, I hope you have an explanation for this.” They were turned around. Behind them was Miss Goodwitch, holding her weapon; Ironwood was behind her, observing them with narrowed eyes as Atlesian Knights and policemen rushed to the scene from various vehicles and Bullheads.

“Miss Goodwitch?” Blake asked. She felt gripped by an invisible hand. “How did you find…?”

“Salutations, friend of Ruby!” If Blake had the energy to groan, she would have done so. From behind Ironwood came Penny, a strange girl from Atlas Ruby had met last semester.

“You were lucky Penny here spotted you on time. Now…” From the corner of her view, she saw Yang, being put near them, flanked by Atlesian knights. It was not ideal, but she was safe at least.

“… Where is the rest of your team?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry this took so long, I got a tremendous downer combined with writer's block, but I finally made it. 
> 
> Good!Cinder's theme is Bad Apple from Touhou Project. The best version would be RichaadEB's english cover. Tell me later what you think of that choice.
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter. Next one should be the fallout of all of this, along with the start of shipper's favorite arc, the Beacon Dance! Tell me what you liked, what you hated and any questions and tips on the comments. See ya next chapter!


	8. Back in Beacon: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cinder and Team RWBY return to Beacon.

If her life with the Xiao Long family had taught her something, it was patience. Yes, she got angry easily. Yes, she hated authority. But she had the will to resist doing anything about it, for her own benefit.

“…I can’t believe you took on a terrorist organization without backup! Not only that, but you also put the public in danger by taking control of a speeding van! Do you understand what I’m saying?!” Glynda Goodwitch leaned forward to emphasize her point. Ruby and Weiss flinched, while Blake and Yang looked own to the ground.

“And you!” Glynda pointed to Cinder, who kept her eyes narrowed and her posture straight. Internally, she was about done with this conversation. She had done the right thing, she had stopped that traitorous bastard for good. She did not need a lecture. “You are supposed to protect the students, not put them in danger! What were you thinking!”

Cinder clenched her teeth internally before coming up with an answer. “I did what I had to do. There was no time, and Team RWBY was available. You can’t blame me for taking what I had,” the huntress waved her hand around to signal the four teenagers standing behind her.

“That is NOT the point!” Glynda argued.

“You want me to go at it alone?” Cinder stepped forward, closing the distance between them.

“I want you to think about your students. About their lives,” the older huntress also closed the distance, narrowing her eyes with danger as their noses almost touched. The Ember of Mistral did not retreat.

“Glynda” – both women turned to Ozpin with the ire of an alpha sawtooth. He flinched, but remained stoic. – “That is quite enough.”

The blonde woman growled and retreated, giving Cinder some breathing space, but she still glared at her, and the young huntress made sure to return it. She had always found Glynda to be irritatingly strict, and it was no different here. But her undertone of care was surprising. So much that it made her anger not bubble up as much as it should.

“So, Professor Cinder. Is your account of the events correct?” asked the headmaster.

“Yes, sir. All of it.” she had told him almost everything. She avoided the subject of Winter and how her sisters had gotten involved voluntarily, while everything else was as it happened. She did not like taking the fall for others, but Yang and Ruby were the big exception.

“Do you all confirm this?” the teens all nodded somewhat hesitantly, but Ozpin said nothing if he noticed that.

“Then, you’re all dismissed, except for the professor here. Go now, have some rest, you’ve earned it,” said Glynda with a sigh. Team RWBY strode off the office, leaving the huntress with her superiors.

The Ember of Mistral crossed her arms, waiting for either Ozpin or Goodwitch to say something.

It was the blonde professor who spoke first. “So, was it really him?” she asked as if afraid of the answer.

“I told you, yes.” Cinder answered.

“And he attacked you first.” Ozpin asked. The huntress was getting agitated at this point. She had already given her report, and this repeat questions where getting to her.

“Yes” she replied, doing her best to contain her emotions.

“Are you absolutely sure?” Glynda asked once again. Cinder had enough as she strode to the professor to the point the older woman retreated on instinct.

“Yes. He appeared out of nowhere and threatened take Ruby and did this –”she pointed to her bandaged chest. The wound was closed but it was covered just in case. –“to me! What else is there to say?”

Glynda said nothing, backing away with a mortified expression. Ozpin remained in his place, with his chin resting atop his knuckles and a pensive expression.

“It’s just, It’s hard to believe…” For the first time since forever, the strict combat professor looked weak, vulnerable and sad. It was like her strenght had been sucked away. She hated it, she hated Isshin, and she hated betrayal.

“But it’s true. Deal with it.” she said, looking at the older woman straight in the eye.

“I see. So there’s been a breach…” Ozpin muttered. Both women turned to look at him, and he noticed. This prompted him to correct himself. “He wanted Ruby? Did he say why?”

“No. He mentioned silver. Maybe her eyes?” Cinder did not believe in fairytales or legends. If they existed, then her life would not have been so shitty. If prince charming was real, he had not come to rescue her.

Ozpin said nothing once again, only grunting.

“Oz?” Glynda asked, tone unusually soft.

“That’s all for now, Cinder. We must investigate further, we’ll call you again. However” –Cinder groaned, she had already turned to leave. – “I can not let you go just like that. While I appreciate your efforts, you did put your students in danger.”

Cinder looked at him with irritation. “What will it be?” she asked.

“You’ll remain in Beacon for the next two months. No going to Vale without supervision. No missions. You’ll also patrol the grounds for any weak points Isshin may have exposed in our security. You’ll still have to give out classes, so It might do you some good to rest well at night.”

“Really? House arrest? For disposing of a traitor and discovering a terrorist cell that slipped under your nose? Are you kidding me?” Cinder snapped. At this, Glynda stepped forward, her stern expression having returned.

“Watch it Cinder. You are not above us, or the lives of your students.”

And that was the problem. She wasn’t above them, so she had to be below. And she wasn’t going to be below anyone, not again.

But patience. Taiyang had taught her patience. If a problem could not be surmounted by force, you could do it with wit, or avoid it altogether. It was just a few weeks. Besides, they couldn’t really keep her there if they tried.

And Summer, she had taught her that even if someone was above her in power, one could still be higher up morally or rationally. She did not believe that fully, but it remained in the back of her mind and helped temper her decisions.

Cinder took a breath to relax. She wasn’t going to let her have the last word, however. “I know what’s right and what needs to be done. But fine, I’ll play house arrest,” with that said she headed to the elevator. Neither the headmaster nor his right hand woman tried to stop her.

As she neared the elevators, one pair of doors opened to reveal Winter and Ironwood. The latter only gave her a nod of acknowledgement, but the later grabbed her shoulder with a grip of cold steel.

“Tomorrow night, Simulator F-3. We need to talk,” she whispered into Cinder’s ear. Despite her best efforts, a chill ran down her spine. Maybe because it had been some time since anyone had been that close to her; and the fact that her most hated rival caused this reaction disgusted her.

Winter let go before she could answer. Not caring to overhear what the group was discussing, Cinder descended into Beacon proper.

* * *

Upon exiting the elevator, she was greeted by Yang and the rest of the team, who looked exhausted.

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” she asked. They were fighting for their lives a few hours before. Luckily for them, tomorrow was Sunday.

Yang sheepishly scratched the back of her head. “We should but, I wanted to thank you, for not ratting us out.”

“Well, you owe me one now. And make sure you don’t forget that.” Yang smiled at this.

“Of course sis. No problem,” Cinder spared a glance towards her other sister, who was sitting in a bench near Blake whose eyes seemed to be falling down along with her entire head. Ruby was unusually quiet, and seemed… afraid to look at her, and it made her chest feel cold.

“So… what now?” asked Blake, breaking the silence.

“What do you mean?” It was Weiss who spoke before Cinder could even process an answer.

“We need to stop the Fang.” The cat faunus replied as if the answer was obvious.

“That’s… kinda what we did. We even got that big box thing,” Yang turned to address her partner with a confident smile, but Blake only glared at her.

“We pushed them back, but Torchwick still got away. We need to do everything we can, right now.” Blake got up from her seat. She was agitated for some reason.

Cinder did not care. The look the black haired teen was giving their teammates was one of fury and guilt. The same one the Ember of Mistral herself had worn in her days at Beacon, when the images of that night came back to haunt her every waking moment. When her confidence in herself and trust in her new family were at an all time low.

“Calm down, Belladona. We need to rest first. Besides, I got house arrest, kind of. So I’m not going anywhere, not for some time,” This did not calm Blake.

“I don’t care. We can still research, we can look for clues. We have to act,” she was more like a raving lunatic rather than a huntress-in-training now. Cinder did not know what had gotten into her, but something did during the mission. Stranger was, Ruby still did nothing to mediate.

It was Weiss who put a hand on Blake’s shoulder, but it was quickly brushed off.

“It’s okay, Blake. We’ll stop them, but like Cinder said, all in due time. We promised to work together, and a huntsman must keep to their oaths,” Weiss said with a lecturing air that the huntress found amusing. At this, the cat faunus simply glared daggers at the heiress before storming off.

“I’m gonna do my part anyways. You guys do whatever you want,” With that, she was gone, every step showing her anger. Both Cinder and Weiss scoffed at the childish display, which led to them looking at each other with an arched eyebrow.

Yang did not catch on. She simply ran a little to attempt to bring her back. “Blake! Wait!” Blake did not wait, and Yang did not give chase.

Seeing Yang’s dejected posture, Weiss turned to the sullen Ruby.

“And what’s with you? You should have stopped her! Or said something! You’re the leader!” Weiss said with indignation and a step on the ground. Even so, Ruby was slow to react.

“Oh, sorry.” There was no energy behind those words, which made Weiss recoil slightly. Yang and Cinder looked at each other with worry. They did not need mind reading to know something was wrong with their little sister. Nothing got to her, unless it was really bad. It something did, this reaction normally happened, and that required a good talk.

“Hey Weiss,” – Yang put a hand on the heiress’ shoulder with a smile. – “you go to the dorms, we need to have a ‘sister talk’. We’ll be right behind you,” Weiss nodded before walking away, leaving the three Xiao Long/Rose sisters on their own in the empty hallway.

Cinder took a breath. It had been a long time since she had actually talked deep and meaningfully with her sisters. But she knew this was her fault. Everyone reacted to death differently and Ruby, being a simple and honest soul, was bound to be hit hard. She’d hoped she would be a little more hardened by the combat academies when it happened, but it seemed it was not the case. Worse still, it was her ‘super sis’ who had killed a beloved teacher in front of her, despite him being a traitor.

“Oookay. Tell me what’s wrong Rubes, I know something’s up,” Yang said, walking towards the Red Reaper.

Ruby looked up, and her surprised expression turned to a happy one, even if it seemed forced.

“I’m super duper fine sis, what are you talking about?” She asked with a forced jovial tone. Both Cinder and yang winced at this.

“Ruby…”

“I’m fine, Cin. Really,” Ruby tried to move, but Yang held her in place while Cinder kneeled besides Yang.

“We’re here for you Rubes. You can talk to us,” said Yang, worry plastered all over her face. The Red Reaper’s facade slipped away, somewhat, but she still said nothing.

“Is this about Isshin?” Cinder asked, straight to the point. Ruby looked away, pain evident on her face.

“You... killed him.” she muttered. Yang looked at Cinder with surprise, and it hurt the huntress. That look of terror, that same one her only mentor and friend gave her when he and Summer Rose found her in the Glass Unicorn’s attic.

“I did.” Said Cinder, putting her hands on Ruby’s shoulders while fixing her with a gaze of steel.

“But, a huntsman is supposed to protect the people,"

“Sometimes, we have to make choices. I chose our safety,” Cinder replied. Ruby looked her in the eye with a serious expression. Her silver eyes hid something behind them, she could not put her finger on what.

“You shouldn’t have to. It’s not right,” The older huntress had no reply to that. She had made choices her entire life. She did not like many of them, but her options were limited. What could Ruby know about that?

Luckily for her, Yang picked up her slack.

“Ruby, we’re not going to start killing bad guys, if that’s what worries you –”

“I know things may get bad sis, but I still want to try and save everyone. I’m not stupid.” Ruby smiled once again, warming the entire hallway. Yang did the same, and hugged her.

“You kind of are, sometimes. But that’s why you have us to help you,” Said Yang in her ear. Cinder looked at her step sisters, her own smile creeping up on her face. They were so close, it seemed like nothing could tear them apart; no disagreement or event. Some part of her wanted something like that, someone who would not abandon her due to her mistakes.

The sisters separated, and the Red Reaper turned to Cinder.

“Thank you for saving me Cin, I just wish it didn’t come to… that.” Ruby said.

“Well, it’s the duty of the elder sister to protect the younger one, so I’d do it again, if it came to that.” she gave her little step sister her best smile, but Ruby simply walked up to her and gave her a tight hug. She was still short and her head barely reached the base of her neck.

Cinder did not know what to do. She could hug her but, did she really deserve it? She tried to keep Ruby safe, and had failed utterly at that. The image of Isshin pummelling her into the ground sprung back into her mind, and her chest tightened.

She could not protect her sister. She could only kill the aggressor.

‘ _That is all you’ll ever do.’_ Those words were etched into her mind.

Without smiling, Cinder patted Ruby’s head, but did not return the hug. The Red Reaper didn’t notice.

“Alright you two, I think it’s time we hit the bed,” Said Yang, watching from afar with a cocky smile.

Ruby released her step sister, and fixed her with her classic toothy grin.

“So, did they punish you?” she asked, now gliding towards Yang. The three sisters set off to their respective dorms. Cinder still had her teacher room from the previous weeks in Beacon.

“I have to stay at Beacon and patrol during nights. It’s horrible.”

“At least you still have a job,” Said Yang nonchalantly.

“You know, I don’t think I would miss it,”

“What?! How could you say that? What about us?” Ruby said with an exaggerated expression.

“What _about_ you,” Ruby’s groan was worth it in her eyes.

* * *

Unfortunately, Cinder’s week was not over yet. The next day, she found out her classes would have transfer students. She still pitted teams of students against hordes of Grimm, but now she had to adapt to the different teaching styles of the other kingdoms, which was a hassle on itself. She managed to spot, between the many new faces, the blonde monkey faunus along with a very distinctive boy of blue hair.

She had no time to waste on that however. She had to deal with Winter’s version of anger, which she wanted to experience while at the same time feeling irritated her day was interrupted like this.

She arrived at Simulator F-3 after the day had ended. It was closed after dinner, but her teacher credentials gave her access anyways. Inside, in the circular arena, was Winter facing away from the entrance. The professor had to roll her eyes at the specialists’ cliché waiting strategy.

“Can we please get this over with?” Cinder asked, letting an arm rest on one of midnight’s handles. She had managed to somewhat fix the blade mechanism, but one of them was still out of shape. If the specialist really wanted to beat the turd out of her, she would have a hard time defending herself.

“I asked you one thing,” – Winter said, barely turning her head. – “Just one.”

Her voice was more chilling than before. But Cinder found it amusing, seeing the Ice Queen melt in anger. Still, the topic she referred to was serious. Weiss had not been severely hurt, but she had still gotten into the line of fire. While the huntress had taken the blame with Ozpin for her sisters’ sake, she was not going to take another lecture from her rival.

“Your little sister got into this all by herself,” Winter turned, eyes narrowed and face scrunched up.

“Don’t blame this on her. You are a professor! You should not be putting students in danger!” Cinder groaned at this. She was done with it.

“I’m not a babysitter.”

“All I asked, from one sister to another, is to please keep her safe, but you can’t even do that. Do you even care about anyone? How selfish can you be?!” Winter said, raising her voice and advancing towards her rival.

“Of course I care! Unlike you, you cold hearted wench!” Cinder screamed, also stomping to meet Winter.

“At least I’m trying to keep her safe!” The Ember of Mistral greet her teeth, hand nearing Midnight.

“You can’t keep her safe forever. She chose this. Maybe, if you are so concerned about your sister, you should be there for her instead of expecting someone else to do it for you!” Realizing what she just said, the huntress shut her mouth immediately.

“Look who is talking,” Winter said with snide.

“I know,” Replied Cinder, her anger deflated. She had left her sisters alone for so long, oblivious to their plight, for no good reason. Winter didn’t say anything else, but it seemed that seeing Cinder’s mood had also calmed her down some.

Both women just stood there, looking at the floor. “Guess we’re both pretty shitty sisters, huh?”

Winter only nodded solemnly. “I could have done so much more.”

“From what I heard, at least you checked on her and trained her. I left as soon as I could for no good reason,” she admitted, although the huntress felt awkward about it, mostly because of the place, time and person she was talking to. It was also not completely true.

She had left because she wanted to experience freedom, or what she thought was freedom. With no attachments except to herself. At the same time, she thought she was protecting her sisters from being with a tortured murderer.

“I won’t say I understand you fully; but dealing with family is hard, especially when you have shitty parents like mine.” Winter said. Cinder scratched the back of her head. How did this all turn so personal?

“Well, tell that to my first adoptive family. They were the worst.” Said Cinder.

“They couldn’t have been that bad, could they? I mean, my father didn’t even love my mother. He just wanted the company.” Cinder’s eyes opened wide at this.

“Wow, that’s shitty. But if you think that’s bad, my first step mother put a shock collar on me.” Winter’s horrified expression was priceless. The Ember of Mistral herself was surprised at how easy it was to talk about her past to her. Minutes ago they looked like they wanted to tear each other’s throats out.

“By the gods. Cinder…” Cinder glared at her for a moment. She still did not like pity. Not one drop of it.

“Well, It’s in the past now.” With that, both women fell into an awkward silence.

After a while, Winter cleared her throat and returned to her usual military pose.

“I apologize for my rashness, and what I said. It wasn’t fair,” her ability to alter her demeanour was impressive, Cinder had to admit at least that.

“It’s fine. Really.”

“Good, good. Just make sure they are safe, at the very least.”

“I’ll try.” This time, Cinder made sure not to make any promises.

“Well then. I’ll be on my way. Sorry for taking your time.” As Winter left, Cinder noticed she looked tired. And not just physically. She knew because, she was too.

“Hey, Winter.” – She called out. The specialist turned back to look at her. The huntress hesitated, she still disdained her a bit, but she felt that they had at least something in common now, even if it was shared pain. – “Want to go grab a drink?” she asked. Winter narrowed her eyes.

“I’m on duty, professor. Tomorrow will be a busy day.” There it was. Her cold and professional demeanour returned. Why did she expect it to last?

“Your loss,” Winter said nothing else before exciting.

Cinder left after her. She still had classes tomorrow, and her chest still hurt from her battle. She hoped the next few days would be a little quieter, for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry it took so long! I’ve been dealing with some stuff, which includes what to do with college and searching for a job. I wrote more interactions on this chapter, but felt it didn’t fit into the theme/timeframe, so I’ll leave those for part 2, which should come on the weekend. I also apologize if this chapter is not up to par with the rest.
> 
> The next few chapters will deal with some interactions and bonding between Cinder, Team RWBY and Team JNPR along with the dance, but it shouldn’t be more than two or three. Afterwards we go to Mountain Glenn for some more sweet sweet plot.
> 
> As always, comments are appreciated. That is all for now.


	9. Back in Beacon: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team RWY tries to decide what to do with Blake, while Cinder helps Team JNPR.

Glynda was worried. Extremely so. She looked around for any sign of trickery or misbehaviour. Having a traitor amongst them preoccupied her to no end. Her students were in danger, her colleagues were in danger, and Ironwood had painted a huge target on their back with the Athlesian fleet at their doorstep, as if saying ‘come get us’.

James had only the best intentions on his mind, but that was never enough. She had lost a good deal of students to that sort of thinking. She would not lose anyone else. She had to be alert, she had to be cool headed, she had to be strong.

She walked trough the halls, not one of those previous thoughts showing on her face. To everyone else, she was still the strict and collected combat instructor.

Once again, she had been summoned to Ozpin’s tower. She was his constant confidant in the school, and believed herself to be the only reliable one. It was her pride, being able to be there for him. Yet, the headmaster was still extremely snarky, dismissive and calculating with everyone else.

After learning of the old Team Combat instructor’s betrayal he didn’t even flinch. He wasn’t in shock, he just treated it as anything else; which was unusual. If she knew one thing about his mysterious persona for certain, it was that he was quite caring about others.

So not being worried about this at all; was worrying in itself

The doors of the elevator opened, allowing her to enter Ozpin’s clockwork office.

“Ah, Glynda. So glad you could come,” he said with a smile. After that, he seeped from his iconic mug. It all made her almost break her stern expression into a smile; but she needed to be strong now.

“What did you require, Ozpin? Did you figure out how we’ll fix the breach in security Isshin left us with?” Ozpin chuckled at her question, which made her blush with embarrassment.

“It’s quite alright, professor Goodwitch, I told you there is nothing to worry about,” at that, she raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing to worry about? The White Fang stole an Atlas Paladin! Who knows how many more they got? And we don’t even know from where, when or how.” He said nothing to that, so she continued. “Do you have a plan or not?”

“I do,”

“You could share it with the rest of us,” she gestured to the empty room, but meant Ironwood and his specialist.

Ozpin’s smile disappeared from his face as he looked at her behind black eyeglasses.

“That will not be necessary. I already had some contingencies planned for this, but we must wait to see what our enemy will do,” Now that was classic Ozpin, waiting for the first move to be made. She preferred to be proactive, but he was the one with hundreds of years of experience, so she limited herself to follow his command.

“Is there nothing we can do?” she meant herself, really. His gaze was still cold, and it made her chest ache.

“There is. I need you to keep an eye on the exchange students. Look into their backgrounds if you must,” with that, he dismissed her. “And try to enjoy the Vytal Dance, alright?”

She nodded, and began heading to the elevator. She wanted to object, but she still had her duties as a teacher; and she had to trust Ozpin. He had cared for them for many years, he needed her even if only in spirit.

“Oh, one more thing professor,” said Ozpin. Glynda turned around to face him. His expression was… grave.

“What is it?”

“Look into old students that are no longer on the radar. Access their files if you must. Good luck,” Beacon kept files of old students tucked away into an old archive under the grounds. They had those both in paper and digital in the server; in case anyone tried to destroy them.

As she rode down, something awful began to pool in her stomach. The thought of one of her previous students turning to the side of the dark mistress upset her.

Had she failed them, perhaps?

Her questions would have to wait. Now was the time for action.

* * *

Cinder yawned and graded another paper. She had tested the teams of her class, including the ones from other schools, with a practical and theoretical exam.

Many of them where good on the theory part, but not on the practice; while others were the exact opposite. It all caused her tremendous boredom. She was not a homework person; she had done enough unwilling chores back at the Glass Unicorn. Still, her old team had forced her to do it when she was being too stubborn and the homework was vital to the class. This caused her to put it off until the last minute.

Which was exactly why she was about to have a morning class and yet the assignments weren’t graded. She could just power trough and check them all approved, but lately Glynda and Ozpin were on her like a hawk. A week had passed since the incident with Isshin and the White Fang yet the entire Atlas and Beacon staff was still on high alert.

She missed Ruby and Yang. The former hadn’t talked to her much lately; and when she did she seemed less passionate and it hurt. Both her ego, and her feelings.

“My, my. Professor Cinder on the teacher’s lounge. What a lovely surprise,” The door opened an in appeared an old, slightly tubby man in a red uniform. He was professor Port, one of the oldest teachers in Beacon, and one that flirted with female staff and students on top of having extremely boring classes.

“Professor Port. Are your not chatty enough?” she asked with a neutral expression.

“I’m on a break right now. Students no longer appreciate the past. How are we supposed to learn from it if we fall asleep whenever someone speaks of it? Am I right?” he replied, taking a seat opposite of her. His moustache moved with every word.

“I suppose.” she glanced back at the work she had to finish. “Was there something else?”

“So cold miss Cinder, name and semblance not withstanding. Is this really how you treat everyone?” she rolled her eyes.

“Yes,” she replied, glaring at the teacher. People deserved warmth and love, but that was in an ideal world. In the real world, no one cared. Everyone was out for themselves. Why should Cinder give them warmth?

“Even your sisters?” he asked. Cinder froze for a moment, before looking at her exams again.

“They are the exception. Is there any point to this, Port? I’d rather grade this awful papers than talk to you right now,” he chuckled some despite her obvious anger, which irritated the huntress further.

“I just saw a fellow teacher struggling with her classes. I’ve seen some of them Cinder,” he had spied on her. She was about to threaten him, but he continued speaking. “You teach well, but you are frustrated with your students.”

Cinder said nothing. His tone had changed from jovial to extremely serious, not once opening his eyes. Yet if they were, she was sure they would be narrowed. Few times had Port not been happy, which was enough to put the huntress on alert.

“I am. It’s like they don’t listen. They just do whatever they like it seems,” she admitted, even tough it felt weird. What was with her lately? First Winter and now Port. She promised herself she wouldn’t open to anyone except her family, why was this happening?

“Every student is different, miss Cinder. They all have their needs and personalities. Maybe you could help hem out outside of classes. If you show that you care, they may heed your teachings more carefully.” That… made sense. An exchange of attention. Give them some, they return some.

“That’s… not a bad idea. But I already got my plate full at the moment,” she said, picking up her papers while getting up. It was almost time for class.

“A teacher always has time for their students. It’s a vocation, not just a job,” Cinder did not really believe that. She was only here for the money.

“Right. Nice talking to you Professor Port. Maybe I’ll return the favour and visit your classes. Maybe now I won’t fall asleep.” With that remark she left the room, but she could spy Port’s amused expression from the corner of her eye.

* * *

Ruby opened the door with a slam, and quickly went to her bed and plopped down.

“That was awful!” she screamed into her pillow.

“I can’t believe Professor Port went on and on and on! Does that man not have a life?” Weiss complained, mimicking Ruby’s actions. Yang followed behind them, letting her bag fall to the floor while smirking all the way.

“Awww! You too are in synchrony with each other, so cute! Right Blake?” The brawler turned around towards her partner.

However, the cat faunus simply shambled to her own mattress, threw her bag on it and started heading for the door. Seeing this, Yang quickly grabbed her shoulder, she was not going to let her get away this time.

“What!” Blake snapped, turning around and glaring at the brawler, who retracted her arm. The cat faunus looked terrible, at least to Yang. Bags under her eyes, lips dry, and more importantly her hair was a mess. She would not have a partner with messy hair.

“We were talking to you Blake, that’s all. What’s with you?” Yang asked, standing firm. From behind her she could hear Weiss and Ruby shifting to watch them.

“What’s with me? It should be me asking you that! How can you be so calm about this?!” Blake asked, shouting every word. Yang did not let it get to her. She was hotheaded, but also knew how to deal wth kids having a tantrum. Ruby had taught her as much.

“Calm about what? School?” she asked with a smile, keeping her voice level. The cat faunus did not seem to like that.

“I’m talking about the White Fang! They are out there, because of me. I could have stopped them at any time, but now they are everywhere, threatening lives. I can’t just be here and do nothing.” Yang saw Ruby step at her side, eyes strained in sadness.

“Blake, I understand how you feel –”

“You don’t Ruby! You can’t! You are just a little girl who knows nothing about the world!” Blake screamed, and the Red Reaper visibly flinched at that. Something snapped in Yang as she stepped in front of her partner.

“Listen to me,” Yang said, pointing a finger in Blake’s face. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but we are just trying to help you, don’t take that tone with us. You hear me?”

Blake visibly gritted her teeth, but said nothing else as she turned around and exited the dorm with a door slam.

So many emotions ran trough her. Insecurity, fear, worry, anger, frustration. Blake’s reaction after getting back from their pseudo mission was unusual, but she thought nothing of it at the time. Now the brawler realized how foolish she had been.

“She’s not coming to the cafeteria, she’s not here until mandatory curfew, spends all day in the library. It’s awful. Maybe if I talk to her…” Yang pondered the Red Reaper’s suggestion. Blake had been partly right, in that Ruby had not been trough much, which the brawler was grateful for, but it also made it hard for them to connect outside their social awkwardness. Resolute, Yang turned to Ruby.

“I’ll talk to her Rubes. I feel this kind of thing is right up my alley,” she said with a sad smile.

“You sure?” Weiss asked. The heiress knew of her past, some of it, and she was glad she seemed to remember.

“Like my hair is beautiful,”

“But… I’m the leader. Blake is my friend, I should be the one to –” Now Yang kneeled in front of Ruby, interrupting her speech while placing her hands on her shoulders.

“–You _are_ the leader, but you have to trust your teammates. You shouldn’t take on everyone’s problems on your own,” Ruby looked at her with strained eyes, but nodded.

“Alright,” she said, taking a breath.

“I say we let her be, then talk to her. Maybe she’ll snap out of it in the mean time,” Weiss suggested.

“What if she doesn’t?” Ruby countered.

“That’s when I have put my idea into motion,” Yang said, knocking her fists together.

“You’re not gonna literally try to knock some sense into her, right?” the heiress looked scared at Yang wicked smile.

“That _was_ my first idea, but now I have something else in mind. You okay with that Rubes?” Ruby nodded.

“Okay,” with that, some tension seemed to release from the room.

“Alright you two. How about we finish that assignment Port gave us?” Ruby and Yang collectively groaned, which put a smile on Weiss’ face.

* * *

“Team CRDL,” she handed down the papers on the team’s desk without sparing a glance. “Good team combat performance, poor individual one. Barely pass theoretical exams. You need to do better.”

“Anything for you teach.” said Cardin with a poor attempt at a sensual smile. Cinder snapped at this, drawing midnight and pointing her weapon to his neck.

“Do it for yourself, understood?” the barely adult man gulped, but nodded. His entire demeanour became meek and nervous.

“Y-Yes.” His team looked away, hoping to not get caught up in their leader’s mess as the other students laughed or gasped at the display.

“Very well,” she sheathed her weapon and proceeded with the handovers. “Next, Team RWBY.”

She stepped in front of the team’s desk. She smiled for a second at seeing her sisters, then returned to having a stern expression as she saw the B in RWBY struggling to not slam her head into the desk.

She would have liked to simply drop the papers in front of her loudly to wake her up, but Port’s word came to mind. _‘Show that you care’._

“Hey!” Cinder was loud enough to wake her but not so much she would be startled. Blake’s head shot up as she looked at her professor. The cat faunus had dark bags under her eyes, and her face looked gaunt; a departure from the healthy young woman she had meath nearly a month ago. Her notes had also plummeted, from a previous A to a measly C- this time.

“Yes… professor,” she said with a yawn.

“Day is for class, night is for sleeping. It would be… ummm… healthy if you keep it that way, since you don’t look so good these past dew days,” Blake looked at her like a zombie before nodding. The professor then turned to the remaining team members and handed them their papers; all containing a red A mark.

“Your team coordination has plummeted,” she stated.

“Sorry.” Ruby said with a sheepish smile.

“Sorry is not enough. You need to be better. Got it?” Ruby nodded meekly as Cinder left for the last recipients of her handovers.

She stepped in front of JNPR, a really problematic team for her. They had both the best huntsman of their year; probably their generation, to carry them trough any problem in Phyrra. Yet on the other extreme they had a boy that tried his best but was still dead weight in her eyes; Jaune Arc. Nora Valkyrie was pure brute force while Lie Ren was a speedy glass cannon. Alone they were weak, together strong, much like RWBY. Yet her sisters could hold their own, but she wasn’t so sure that could be applied to the team in front of her.

However, things had changed somewhat.

“Ren, well done. You can analyse situations with a cold and calculated mind. That’s the best any team could ask for,” she said, handing him his paper with an A+ mark.

“Thank you.” He answered, tone laconic and polite.

“Valkyrie, you should focus more on studying. While this is very funny,” she swung an exam with a D- on it, that also had many red markings over ridiculous answers and doodles. She liked it, someone who was successful by being themselves. Yet, at some point, that was bound to stop being effective. “You need to be serious about this. What you learn here could save your life. Pay. Attention. Or I’ll make you.” With that, she let it fall into her hands. The red haired girl simply smiled with her eyes close.

The final pair, sitting side by side meekly. She chose the blond boy first.

“Arc, you’ve gotten better. Well done,” she simply handed him his C marked paper with a nod of approval as the boy fist-pumped. She was glad he had not given up and was actually improving. However…

“Nikos,” she handed her her own paper. It had a B-, a long shot from the constant A pluses she displayed in all other classes and her previous exam. “Your notes have gone down.” she asked. The girl looked away, as if ashamed. She also seemed tired, much like Blake, though she at least looked healthy.

“I-I know. It’s just…”

“It’s my fault.” Arc said from beside them. “She had to help me study and train, constantly. Maybe that’s why…”

“It’s alright Jaune.” she said with a smile. Cinder did not like this. Sacrificing your own well being for others who were not your family was, not good. The face of a former teammate of hers sprung to mind.

A girl named Gretchen, who gave her everything for everyone else, and while leaving her brother in pain.

“It’s not alright if it compromises your team’s performance,” she stated. Pyrrha and Jaune looked at her with surprise. “If there is one thing I will not tolerate, is people dragging others down. Got it?” Both teens nodded. With that done, Cinder returned to her desk.

“Alright! Today…” she said, beginning to scribble on a glass board the classroom had. “… we’ll discuss how to assist an incapacitated teammate. Now you must be –“

* * *

Ruby was on the ground, bloodied and beaten, looking up towards her opponent.

Nora Valkyrie jumped, intent on stomping her face with her food in order to end the match.

She would not allow it. She recovered, and with a deft move of her fingers activated her special move, ‘Dragon Fist’.

It propelled her upwards, activated instantly, and made her invincible. It was enough to reverse the situation. Now Nora was and the ground and Ruby could take the offensive.

She jumped and kicked. Nora blocked; but it was not over. Punch, punch, kick, overhead, throw, special move. In seconds, Nora’s Aura was in the red, and with a final, cinematic move that used up all her power she defeated her in style.

**K.O!**

“Nooooo!” Nora screamed, falling backwards into the floor.

“YES! Another victory for Ruby!” The red reaper got up and did a taunt dance, moving her hips in one direction and her arms in the opposite.

“You cheated! Throwing fireballs is cheating!” whined the Mace user.

“If it’s in the game, it’s not cheating,” Ruby singed with a toothy grin.

“Ruby will use all manner of underhanded tactics to win Nora. It’s just how she plays. We all have to deal with it,” Yang said, looking up from the magazine she was reading from atop the beds.

“I demand a rematch!” Nora screamed, getting up.

“Sorry,” Yang quickly bolted from her bed to Ruby’s bedside, knocking the red haired girl into the wall with a simple nudge while grabbing the controller out of the air. “Time for mama Yang to teach you a lesson.” She said with a devilish grin. Ruby’s toothy grin turned sharp and evil.

“Oh we will see, dear sister.” she said, imitating an evil voice.

Weiss groaned. She tired of this behaviours, especially because it was her and Lie Ren who were doing the group project peach had given their respective teams. Ren did not seem to notice, or ignored the antics. She was thankful for that, for he proved a helpful if silent partner.

“Reeeeeen! Do something! They took my spot!” At the girl’s exaggerated cries, Ren sighed.

“Nora, you agreed that once someone lost, their spot was open. Wait for your turn.” he said with a calm that even Winter would be jealous of.

“As your partner, you are supposed to help me!” Nora shook her best friend, but even so his expression did not change. A vein popped in Weiss’ forehead.

“How about you three help us out instead of playing videogames?” The heiress said, glaring at her teammates who were pretty much smashing their controllers in their game rage.

“Sorry, Ice Queen, but we suck at Peach’s classes. Dust and biology is your thing.”

“And if you studied with me, maybe you’d learn a thing or two.”

“But I don’t use dust,” Yang had a point, which frustrated her.

“Don’t you use special Dust rounds Ruby?” she asked her partner.

“Umm… I don’t really make the bullets myself, so I don’t really need to learn, I guess,” with that said, Yang patted her on the back.

“That’s my sis. Don’t get distracted now.” Knowing she could not convince her partners for help, Weiss turned to the other person in JNPR’s room that had been helpful.

“Where are Arc and Nikos? They could help,” she said with disdain. She liked Phyrra, but Arc had been unbearable this last few weeks. With the dance so close, his flirting had gone to levels she could hardly tolerate anymore; to the point she seriously considered simply freezing ad leaving him in a closet until the Beacon Dance was over.

“They’re training on the roof.” Ren said simply, eyes still glued to the paper he was writing.

“You mean fu –“

“– Nora.” Ren groaned.

“–rnicating. Yeah, that,” Weiss arched an eyebrow. Arc and Nikos? Together? The useless idiot and the prodigious champion? She could not see it, besides, he was interested in her, wasn’t he? Why did she care?

“You think so?” she asked, cheeks pink as she imagined the scene.

“I don’t. Jaune is too dense, Phyrra is too passive. Without some miracle, I doubt anything will happen.” Ren said with his neutral tone.

“That’s a bit harsh,” it was hypocritical coming from Weiss Schnee herself, who constantly chided Ruby for her behaviours and mistakes, but the way Ren said it so easily rubbed her wrong.

“It’s just facts. Take them or leave them,” Weiss said nothing, lips pursed in silence. Noticing she did not say anything, Ren continued. “Where’s Blake? I thought this would also be of interest to her, even if she is unsociable,” Team RWBY said nothing for a moment before Yang spoke.

“She’s… not feeling well lately.”

“Because of the White Fang thing?” Nora asked, now resting on the floor with her arm propped on her elbow and holding her head.

“Yup. We were thinking about what to do with her,” Ruby said, eyes still glued to the screen but not playing so fervently anymore.

“Just let her be, she’ll talk when it’s ready?” Ren said, for once looking away from his work.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea dude,” Yang now turned to look at the ninja or whatever he was, glaring.

“Time heals all.” He stated, as if he was wiser than anyone else. Weiss hated that.

“Not everything. Some things, left alone, just linger and fester.” Ren looked at her with an arched eyebrow, but said nothing else. The heiress was thankful, she didn’t feel like talking about her mother.

“Aaaanyway,” said Nora, now hugging Ren from the back. “Have you guys got dates for the dance?”

And there it was. The question that should have come first.

“You got one?” asked Weiss. Nora was attractive for sure, but she really wasn’t approached by many guys.

“Sure I do. Right, Ren?” she smiled happily at the huntsman-in-training who simply sighed.

“There is no escape,”

“No there is not!” She hugged him tighter. Weiss turned to the two sisters.

“You two?”

“Nothing to report.” Said Yang, apparently happy.

“I’m not going,” Said Ruby simply.

“Yes you are!” Yang said with indignation.

“I’m not!”

“You have to, it’s time you socialize.”

“I socialize enough! With weapons!”

“You gotta get out of your shell!”

“I refuse!”

“Alright! Enough you two! I get it.” Weiss said with a groan. “Ruby, it would be good for you to go. Socializing is important.”

“Easy for you to say. Who are you going with?” Ruby’s question caught her off guard; especially because it had been bothering her for some time.

“I… was thinking of…”

“That blue stud that was with Sun?” Weiss’ face went red, mostly because that description was accurate.

“How did you…”

“You were chatting him up bad. I loved it!” Said Yang with a toothy grin.

“Yeah, well, he still has to come, so…”

“Are you seriously waiting for him?” Yang asked.

“Wh-What of it? It’s tradition. The man invites the woman.” Weiss said, reciting what her mother taught her.

“Screw that. If you want a piece of him, you gotta snatch him.” Said Yang with a fist pump.

“I’m not snatching anyone!” Weiss said with indignation.

“You know what I mean, princess.” Weiss growled, and went back to work.

“Whatever.” With that, she went back to work.

However, she could not deny she was tired of waiting for Neptune. Yang was right, she was Weiss Schnee, heiress of the SDC and huntress in training. Her sister was a specialist in the Atlas military, and she had considered her good enough to train her. She could do it. Weiss Schnee could do it.

She would invite Neptune Vasilias to the Beacon Dance.

* * *

Cinder thought she had gotten scot-free with her ‘punishment’ of house arrest and night patrol. She had been wrong. It was an excruciating experience. While Beacon had an interesting if a bit confusing layout, it was exciting to wander it.

But that had lost it’s appeal after a week of non stop routes trough it, with no one to talk with, the school dead silent due to curfews and the fact that it left her no time to do anything besides go to sleep once she finished.

She really needed to stop underestimating Ozpin.

As she neared the dorms for her seventh lap, she heard noises in the night. Grunts and pants, along with the clash of metal. She looked around, ready for anything.

She focused her hearing, and detected it’s direction. It was coming from the roof of the west dorms. She looked up, but the building was tall enough from ground level to block sight from below. So she jumped, using the wall as support to jump further while enhanced with Aura.

She was ready for intruders, or two horny teenagers fucking. But no, she only found the one and only Pyrrha Nikos on top of Jaune Arc in a compromising position, weapons thrown aside.

“Am I… interrupting something?” she asked with a smirk. Both teenagers quickly recovered. Jaune was simply sheepish, but Pyrrha was bit red. It was obvious their relationship was one sided. Still, it was none of her business. What was her business was her patrol. “It’s past curfew. What are you still doing here?” her smile disappeared, replaced by narrowed eyes and pursed lips.

“I… We were just training,” Said Jaune. It did not sound like an excuse, and would explain the clangs she heard.

“So late? Why?” Cinder asked. This time, Phyrra stepped up, clearing her throat and recovering her composure.

“Well, we figured normal training wasn’t enough for Jaune, since he has a long way to go, so I’m helping speed things up, that’s all.” Pyrrha said. Her eyes, however, told another story. She was exhausted; she was giving everything to the boy. Cinder turned to Arc.

“No wonder you improved so much,” she looked back at Pyrrha. “However, your own grades have fallen in tandem with the rise of his Nikos. Am I right?” sheepishly, the champion nodded.

That weak wimp was dragging down his teammate, sapping her strength little by little. No, that was wrong. She was just helping him but, her memories of her childhood, where she could not do anything; and her time in Beacon, where she watched Gretchen destroy herself for others. Something dark came over her.

“Arc! Come here!” she said, loudly.

“Y-yes?” Jaune was clearly startled as he walk towards Cinder before standing in front of her straight as a ruler. She would set things right.

“I want you to try and hit me with your sword,” she ordered.

“What?!” Jaune retreated at her request.

“Did I stutter?” Cinder was dead serious, looking with lowered eyelids and a strained face.

“I-I mean. I don’t want to hit you,”

“If you don’t, I’ll fail you,” at that statement, both teens froze up.

“Are you serious?” Jaune asked once again.

“Have I ever joked?” she countered. With gulp, Jaune picked up his fallen weapons and stood in front of her. The Rooftop was big enough that they had enough space to move without fear of falling off.

“W-Wait. Professor Cinder, this is not necessary.” Said Pyrrha, stepping in front of Jaune.

“I disagree, now move,” The Mistral Champion did not move. In fact she stood her ground, staring at her with a glare.

“No,” that simple answer nearly made Cinder frown. Was she defying her? This was the first student that had done that. Did she think she was stronger than her?

“I will fail you too,” she answered, tone laced with steel.

“If you must,” she really was going down with him. But before the two women could say anything else, Jaune pushed Pyrrha slightly with the back of his hand.

“It’s okay Pyrrha. You’ve done enough.” he said with a smile.

Jaune got into a stance, while Cinder remained with her arms crossed, waiting for him nonchalantly. The boy let out a shout, and charged at her with his sword raised above his head. He swung for her, but she simply stepped to the side and kneed him in the stomach. The boy dropped to a knee but he wasn’t hurt, Cinder made sure of it.

“Useless. Again.” She said, looking down on the boy. Jaune remained in his position, but delivered a backhand slash. The huntress simply leaned back to avoid the blow. The knight closed the distance once again, using his shield in a poor attempt to bash her with it.

She kicked him in the chin by raising her leg, then brought it down to to strike the top of his head. Once again he kneeled to the ground.

“Useless. Again.” Now the boy glared at her. He tried to get up, but Cinder didn’t give him the chance as she kicked him on the face and left him face up on the rooftop.

“Stop it!” Pyrrha shouted, but Cinder paid no heed. She wasn’t looking at a boy, she was looking at herself. Her weak self, who could do nothing but take her abuse no matter what she did, because she still had a modicum of respect for life and civility.

“Look at you,” she said as she brought down a foot into his chest, forcing him to lay down and possibly cutting his air supply. “As you are, this is the only thing you can do, lay down and take whatever the world throws at you without being able to defend yourself. How weak can you be?” she asked him.

“I’ll… never… give up,” she had not given up either, but it only pushed her beyond her breaking point, and made her a murderer. All of Rhodes training and kindness, thrown away in a single night.

Cinder’s gaze softened as she removed her foot from his chest.

“You cannot be like this Arc. Just persevering is not enough. That is why,” she went down, and pulled him up from his breastplate. He was heavy, but her Aura helped her with that. “I’m going to train you,” she said finally.

“What?”

“What?!” Both Jaune and Pyrrha were understandably shocked.

“I’m going to help you get stronger so that you don’t get swept away here, and also,” she turned back to look at Phyrra who had her weapons drawn. She really would give everything for this boy. “So that you don’t have to compromise your own studies. Got it?”

Both teens looked at each other, before nodding to the teacher.

“Good,” she turned back to Jaune. “At this time, simulator F-3. Every. Day. Miss one, and we are done,” Jaune nodded meekly. “Now go away. I need to talk to Nikos here.” she said, pointing back to the red headed champion.

“Got it. See you at the dorm Pyrrha,” With that, the boy bid goodbye before heading to the building’s stairs.

Now alone with Cinder on the rooftop, Pyrrha shifted awkwardly from side to side.

“So… that happened,” she said. The huntress arched an eyebrow.

“Was it that strange?” she asked, feeling a little insecure about her approach. Just a little.

“Well, I really thought you were going to hurt him,” Pyrrha said, holstering her weapons. At this, the Ember of Mistral scoffed.

“Even if I tried to hurt him, he would probably be fine. He has an immense Aura capacity,” And that was it, neither woman said anything else, which left them in an uncomfortable silence. That was, until Pyrrha broke it.

“Are you really okay with training him?” she asked.

“It kills two birds with one stone. He’ll improve, and you’ll have less workload.” At this, the huntress-in-training narrowed her eyes.

“Why are you doing this? Why help me?” she feared this question would come. Port’s words once again rung in her mind.

“Well, you are my students. It’s kind of my job to help you. But the real question is,” Cinder looked at Pyrrha straight in the eye, making the younger woman freeze up. “Why are _you_ helping him? Even if you were in love or something, this is too much.”

The Champion looked away. She looked vulnerable, not invincible at all, not like a huntress, but like a girl. A girl that could only do what others told her. It reminded her of herself. Why did so many things make her remember that? It was in the past. That girl was supposed to be dead and left with the corpses of that awful stepmother and sisters.

Pyrrha turned her head towards the moon, a soft wind making her ponytail blow away like a banner.

“Do you believe in destiny?” she asked.

“Do you mean –?”

“That you have a singular goal that you are supposed to accomplish, no matter what,” Destiny. It was… something her real parents taught her. It used to be common in Mistral to view destiny like that, but in the more modern times less and less people believed that.

“Yes” she answered, without hesitation. Pyrrha turned towards her with a melancholic expression.

“What is yours?” That… was too personal. But she had never been asked before; and so she answered.

“To be free.” Pyrrha’s expression didn’t change, she simply turned her emerald eyes back to the moon. “Yours is…?

“I believe I’m meant to be a huntress, who helps others no matter what,” the young woman brought a hand to where her heart was. “Even if I have to give up a piece of me to do it.”

She did not know why, but Cinder reacted. She reached for the girl’s shoulder, turning her towards herself.

“You’re going to destroy yourself Pyrrha.” She looked down.

“I know. But I would still do it.” How? How could she just… be okay with that? Tied down forever to a duty that asked her to give up everything? She didn’t deserve that, no one did.

“I won’t allow it.” Pyrrha looked up at her, eyes wide in shock. Then, her expression softened, and she smiled, eyes glassed as if she were about to cry.

“Thank you.” She grabbed the hand in her shoulder. It was warm. But as soon as it came, it was gone. “I better go back. I guess I’ll be leaving Jaune to you,” she said, going towards the stairwell that led into the building.

“I’ll make a huntsman out of him. You’ll see.” She didn’t particularly like the boy, but if it made Pyrrha’s life easier, then, it was alright.

The young woman nodded, and disappeared into the dorms.

Cinder was alone in the windy rooftop. The huntress hugged herself for the first time in a while, and looked at the shattered moon.

“Destiny, huh”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: That is it for chapter 8 part 2, hope you enjoyed it. Next, we’ll have Ruby and Yang talking to Blake, some action, and then the Beacon Dance followed by Mt. Glenn. That is all for now.
> 
> Also, I'm thinking of changing the formating


	10. The More Things Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby invites Blake to the dance while Cinder and Winter discuss their sisters.

“It’s not hard Ruby. Black or red?” The red reaper sighed, seated as she was with two different dresses laid out in the desk of their dorm room.

“Weiss, Is this really important?” she asked. Ruby had to finish her homework, her projects, clean Crescent Rose, and solve Blake’s White Fang obsession which had not let up in the slightest.

“It is! It will be good for you Ruby, and I put a lot of effort into organizing it, along with Yang. We _all_ need to be present.” Weiss lifted a finger, standing at her side. Her voice was softer than usual.

“Does that include Blake?” she asked. At this, the heiress let up a little.

“Yes. Yang is working on that,” of course she was. Yang could handle it. She was her partner, she knew her better than anyone. Why was Ruby so worried anyways? Blake was no more special than Weiss or Yang. Yet, she had been thinking about her more than usual. She missed when they were in the dorm, reading in quiet or doing their homework in perfect silence. Being with Blake at times filled her with ease, like it was okay to be a dorky and socially awkward teenager.

“I’m worried, that’s all,” Ruby said after pondering for a moment.

“If you’re so worried, then talk to her,” with that, Weiss placed a hand on Ruby’s shoulder.

“Maybe I will,” the Red Reaper smiled at her partner. When the heiress wanted to, she could be incredibly sweet. She considered it progress for her bestie.

“But you still have to go to the dance,” and the moment was ruined in an instant.

“Weiss!” Ruby complained. “I don’t want to! I don’t even know how to dance! I’ll just make a fool of myself.”

“Then I’ll teach you. This is not a discussion Ruby, you need this. Besides, I’m offering this peacefully. I don’t want to think what Yang will do,” Weiss had a point. Yang had been way more pushy about this than she had ever been. Her big sister had always tried to drag her along to social events, to ‘crack her shell’. She did out of love no doubt, but at times it was too much.

“Alright,” she said, hanging her head in defeat. “But I don’t have a date,”

“There’s still time, Ruby. You can ask anyone,”

“Yeah, but I want it to mean something, you know? Make it special, with someone special.” she said with a blush. In stories, the ball dance or whatever was always a dazzling event where romance blossomed. She was not particularly interested in that, but she still wanted whoever came with her to be someone of importance to her.

Weiss sighed, but she had a smile on her lips.

“Truly hopeless Ruby. Didn’t know you were such a romantic,” Ruby crossed her arms, a pout adorning her face.

“Blake allowed me to borrow some of her books, that’s all.” The mention of the cat faunus gave her an idea. Blake was shy, and if she went to the dance, she was likely to remain in the sidelines. And if she didn’t want to dance, Ruby was perfectly fine not forcing her. She would be the perfect companion to escape her inevitable fate.

Rubbing her chin, Ruby grinned from side to side. “I think I have the perfect choice,”

“Well that was quick. Try not to come crying if you get rejected,” Said Weiss, returning to her could demeanour as she inspected the dresses again.

“Who are you going with?”

“Neptune,”

“Really?”

“Well I still haven’t asked him, but soon, I will,”

“How soon?”

“Today soon,”

“Go get him girl,” Ruby said. She had heard from Blake, who heard from Sun, that Neptune was a casanova, or a poor attempt at one at least. He had managed to catch Weiss’ attention, which was something, but she only hoped her friend would not get hurt if he already had a date or rejected her.

“So, red or black? It’s an easy choice,” Weiss said, holding once again both dresses side by side.

Ruby groaned again.

* * *

She swung both blades of Midnight at the same time. They clashed against the shield of the boy she was training. They bounced off, but the force propelled him backwards a few meters.

Cinder would not let Jaune recover. He was still too slow.

“Remember what I told you!” she yelled as she dashed. The boy lowered his shield to attack with a wide swing from left to right. At least it wasn’t an overhead, but it had been a grave mistake nonetheless.

She used one blade to knock away his, while the other went to his throat, going to rest between his shoulder and neck. If she had applied more force, she would have broken his aura and killed him. The boy stood still like a statue, absolute fear in his eyes. Cinder found it amusing.

“Match is over,” she said, before removing her blade from his neck. Seeing this, Jaune relaxed. Another opportunity for a lesson.

The huntress grabbed his sword arm and threw him into the ground using his weight against him. He hit it hard, his aura flickering but not broken.

“Aww. What the crud?!” he asked, slightly out of breath. Cinder put her foot down into his chest, but lightly as to not suffocate him.

“Always expect an attack. You can never be certain an opponent has given up, especially if they’re Grimm,” she told him. Jaune lowered his head back against the ground, defeated.

“I thought you said ‘not giving up’ wasn’t good enough,” the huntress removed her foot.

“Perseverance isn’t enough when it’s simply getting up just to get beaten down again. You have to be smart. Let them think they’ve broken you, then bam!” she slammed one fist into her palm, “You strike,”

“Sounds kinda underhanded,” Cinder reached out to him, and he took her hand. With a grunt she lifted him up.

“In real combat, underhanded is all there is,” as she said this, with a serious and strict tone, an image of her moth– Summer Rose popped into her mind. She shook her head slightly. “Mostly. Let’s go again.”

“I know, I know. The world is harsh and all that. My mom told me already,” Jaune got into a stance, shield up and sword drawn back.

“Remember, your shield is your greatest weapon. Defence is nothing without offence, and vice versa. Do not lower it at any point, not even when attacking. When it comes to fighting humans, endurance is all, and you got a lot of that. Abuse your strengths.” She rushed him, attacking with all her might, going for obvious openings, like behind his legs.

This time, Jaune listened and slashed with his sword while under the protection of his bulwark. She easily deflected the counter swing and disarmed him. Once again it was over.

“That was too weak. You went too far into the other direction and didn’t commit to the strike. Let’s go again.” nodding but with his head hung low, Jaune went to pick up his sword. The boy had improved massively. According to Pyrrha Nikos, he could barely hold his shield for one attack when he began. Now he could take many hits without stumbling.

His swordsmanship was better since he began his new training, which astounded the huntress. He took lessons at heart and seemed to adapt them to his style with little difficulty, even if the execution left much to be desired. With this much potential, she wondered how he hadn’t been trained before Beacon.

“I have to ask you,” she said as he picked up his sword. He looked back with an arched eyebrow. “Didn’t your parents train you before sending you here?” The boy winced, seeing for the first time what she could describe as pain and sadness.

“No. I came here on my own, to prove them that I could be something. They didn’t really believe in me.” The bitterness in his voice was palpable.

“If they are overprotective, at least you know they love you,” she said. Jaune sighed.

“Maybe too much,” Cinder frowned. He didn’t know what he was saying. She didn’t blame him, but it angered her nonetheless.

“You should appreciate what you have Arc,” he looked at her, surprised.

“I do! I do! But… when nobody believes in you…” she knew that feeling. Treated like garbage, less than human and with no chance to become anything or be loved by anyone. One thing both her Stepmother and the caretakers of the orphanage once had in common.

“You prove them wrong. Now come on, fight!” With that push, both combatants engaged each other with similar forward charges.

They both clashed, sword and shield agains twin swords. They tugged against each other, however, Jaune began to push back. Actually push back! She felt her feet slide slightly on the roof, and could see Jaune’s face strained to it’s limits. She liked this progress, but she also had to show him who was the more experienced huntsman here.

She moved to the side, letting Jaune’s own pushing force lead him to stumble forwards. She then kicked him in the back, and went to slide her swords around his neck in a cross hold.

“You lost again,” she said from behind.

“I know, I have to be smarter, use my strengths. I learned my lesson,” she raised an eyebrow.

“Did you, now?” she let him go, and helped him to his feet. Despite his words, she could tell this session was far from over. “Until you prove that to me, we are not leaving this roof,” she told him, going again into a stance.

“About that…” he said sheepishly, going into a half assed hold with his weapons.

“What?” she asked with irritation.

“You know… the dance is coming… a-and I want to ask Weiss out,”

“The Schnee?” she was not surprised, wether it was the Winter or her little sister, both women were beautiful, elegant and strong. What surprised her was this guy thought he had a chance. From what she had seen, the heiress hardly demonstrated interest in anything that wasn’t her classes or clothes.

“Yes, I have this whole thing planed –”

“And why should I care?” she raised a palm to stop him in his tracks.

“Well, it kinda has to be at night. But at night we train, so…”

“Sounds like a ‘you’ problem,”

“Please professor, I need this! This is my chance!” she sighed. She had to nip this problem in the bud.

“What makes you think you have a chance?” she asked.

“Well… I mean… if I keep trying…” she wanted to slap him right there.

“Jaune, what did I tell you?”

“Perseverance isn’t enough?” he asked, confused.

“Exactly. If you keep insisting on her, and she doesn’t show interest, you will only make a fool of yourself. Let it go while you still have a chance,” she told him. He looked to the ground, dejected. Good.

“But… then I’d have no one to go to the dance to,” Cinder sighed again. This was not going to end anytime soon.

“And? That event is pointless. You’ll probably never see these people again. You should focus on your skills and leadership, everything else is secondary,” she told him. Jaune looked down, dejected.

“Sounds lonely. Besides, doesn’t a good leader know their team?” At his question, memories of her time at Beacon flew into her mind, along with those of her teammates. All those interactions and conversations that she had told herself were simply a means to improve team morale now came back tinted a beautiful rose.

She shook them off. She had done her best, and it still did not work out.

“A good leader pushes their team so they can be the best, inspires their loyalty, and does not allow distractions. You must be strong, unmovable, focused.” Jaune looked like he wanted to argue further, but hesitated at the last second.

“I… I see,” he said nothing more than that as he readied himself once again. But truth to be told, she found herself exhausted.

“We’re done for today. Go to your dorm.” Jaune let out a sigh of relief as he lowered his weapons.

“Thank you,” Cinder narrowed her eyes as she sheathed her own pair.

“I want you here at this same hour. No excuses, no sob stories. Here. Are we clear?” she asked with a dangerous tone and her best piercing gaze. It worked, and she smiled internally as the boy shrunk down under her watch.

“O-of c-course. No problem.” he began to leave for the stairs that lead down into the dorms, but he stopped midway and addressed her again. “Professor…”

“Yes?” she turned around, raising an eyebrow. She just wanted to leave already.

“Are you going to the dance?” That was a good question. She liked dancing, mostly to get that sweet sweet admiration from slack jawed people. Yet, she didn’t really like people, and did not like dancing one on one at that. Her options were limited in this case however; all teachers were requested by Ozpin to assist. They did not need dates luckily, but were expected to dance a little.

“I have to, unfortunately. Why?”

“Just curious. I expected you to kind of act like a celebrity and show off, but…”

“But…” she asked with a growl, crossing her arms.

“You turned out to be different. And honestly, I kinda like it,” he said, blushing. Cinder raised an eyebrow. She prayed to the gods that-

“–I mean, you’re a cool person, even if you’re kind of… harsh. That’s what I meant,” she decided, for her own mental health, to accept the compliment.

“Thanks. But I’ll be even harsher if you go to class half asleep. So go, shoo,” she said, waving her hand to dismiss him like a puppy. He snickered, and then disappeared into the building.

She thought the boy shy and awkward, and he was all of that, but also honest. He reminded her of Ruby. And actually, they would make quite the pair. Maybe she could scheme something for the dance, to make things interesting.

It would be better than sitting to the side and drinking anyways.

* * *

Once again, her duty was night patrol. She had already memorized a pattern. From the teacher dorms to the third years, then second’s and first’s to finish in the fourth’s, since those were mostly desolated due to those students being constantly sent on missions in order to test their practical and theoretical skills.

After the dorms, she went to the simulator arenas, then the kitchen, then the auditorium and finally the various courtyards spread across beacon. She would run into one or two security guards or teachers also on patrol.

This night was different however. All around the school grounds the could see squads of Atlas Knights trotting around, scanning everywhere with their pitch black faceplates. She felt watched.

But just one more round, and she would be able to go to sleep.

As she rounded a corner towards the first year dorm rooms, she saw her rival Winter speaking with a ginger girl half her stature. She seemed… stiff somehow, even if her expression was jolly and friendly.

Whatever the specialist was doing was no business of hers however, but she did hate the hypocrisy of talking to a first year girl when her sister didn’t even know she was there.

As she passed by their side, she heard her name called out.

“Cinder.” Winter’s cold voice addressed her in a salute. The huntress looked behind her towards the specialist. She had never greeted her, and Cinder sure as hell did not greet her either.

“Winter,” she answered with a nod. She turned back without a word, before jumping back slightly. In front of her was the ginger girl, smiling. She had short hair, freckles and an unusual outfit that belonged more to a middle to lower class town girl than a student from a prestigious academy.

“Salutations, professor Cinder.” she said, grinning from mouth to mouth. “It is an honour to meet you.”

Cinder looked back at Winter, who was strangely amused before her expression once again turned cold.

“Penny. What did I tell you?” the girl looked down, dejected.

“To not address unknown people with their first names that I know beforehand,”

“Correct,” Winter said with a nod.

“Forgive me. But my friend Ruby told me strangers are just people waiting to be met.” Of course Ruby said that. Cinder was not surprised her jolly little sister made friends with this strange girl.

“And general Ironwood gave you explicit orders to keep interactions to a minimum,” Winter countered, voice growing grave.

“Noted. Mistake will not be repeated.” Cinder was being ignored. That would not stand.

“Ummm, how do you know me?” she asked her. The girl turned to her with a swift and quick motion, almost like a toy.

“Ruby has talked a lot about you. A total of seventeen separate mentions last semester. That is why I wanted to speak to you, to evaluate and compare her admiration to the real thing.” Cinder raised both eyebrows. She knew Ruby admired her, and perhaps that was turning out to not be such a good thing if it drew attention to herself.

“Alright,”

She heard footsteps, and soon Winter was at Penny’s side, with a hand on her shoulder.

“Penny is a very special student, which is why I’m here to guide and watch over her, alongside my other duties,” she said, cold and professional.

“So you’re playing babysitter while your own sister could use your help? I don’t understand you,” she told Winter with her arms crossed. The specialist frowned, removing the hand from Penny’s shoulder.

“Miss Winter, your hostility levels are–“

“–Why must you always antagonize me?”

“Because it’s fun to see your face, of course,” she answered with a smirk.

“I don’t register how changing Winter’s expression to a negative one could be considered fun,” Cinder found Penny very strange now. She behaved like she knew nothing of the world, or human interaction. She was like a piece of clay. No wonder Winter, the most cold person in the world, was assigned to her.

“Well, it’s one thing you must try for yourself. I could even recommend–“

“Don’t even try it,”

“Whatever you say, Ice Queen,”

“Actually I’ve been meaning to talk to you, in private,” Winter looked at Penny with narrowed eyes, but the girl simply tilted her head with a smile.

“Acknowledged,” she said simply, and the specialist let out a silent sigh.

“ _Alone,”_ she emphasized.

“We are alone,” the strained cheeks and gritted teeth were amusing Cinder.

“Without your presence,” the bluntness seemed to be enough to crack the girl’s thick skull.

“Oooh. I see. Then, enjoy your alone activities specialist, professor.” with two bows, Penny trotted away in a manner similar to a toy soldier but much less stiff.

“What is wrong with her?” Cinder asked, mostly to herself.

“Nothing. She’s just not… experienced with other people, that’s all.” Winter’s reply was strange, but the huntress paid it no mind. What mattered to her now was that her rival had asked for ‘private’ time with her.

“So what’s this about?” Cinder crossed her arms, looking at the specialist with narrowed eyes.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said,”

“Oh? I got listened to? By _the_ ice block?” at her smirk, Winter simply glared and continued.

“I think it’s time I stop hiding, and tell my sister I’m here. Moreover,” Winter turned and started pacing around. “We need to take more direct action. Ozpin is doing nothing to remedy this infiltration, and we find it unacceptable.” Cinder was not surprised at all. Ozpin always seemed passive and cold when it came to official matters. Yes, he was warm to students, but did not bat an eye when sending them to deathtraps.

“I see. What are you planning to do?”

“Well, we have some leads thanks to you. Isshin was from Mistral. He had a leave of about two months before he came back, and he went there. It is possible _someone_ is recruiting their infiltrators there. So we must investigate any and all students that came from there.”

“Isn’t it a bit of a stretch? Marking everyone from Anima as potential targets?” she asked, standing tall and in defiance. Winter was not small by any means, but Cinder was taller, and her frame, despite being well built, was still lean. Indeed, height and gaze were her best weapons when it came to verbal confrontations.

“It is a possibility, a very likely one,” Winter replied, expression not changing one bit.

“I’m from anima too, you know? Are you gonna arrest me because of that?” Despite her countless years of bullying and loneliness at the orphanage, she still felt some connection to the continent where she was born. It was as faded as the faces of her real parents that continued to slip away every passing day, but it was still there.

“If I’m telling you this, it’s because I consider you trustworthy enough,” At this, Cinder retreated in confusion.

“What?” she asked.

“Is it that surprising?” the shadow of a smirk was visible on Winter’s face.

“I thought you hated me,” she still remembered their not-so-friendly banter from the Vytal Festival in atlas, Winter’s smug expression and condescending demeanour directed to everyone around her, but especially Cinder.

“Hate you? Why would I?” Now it was Winter who acted confused.

“Uh… all those comments you flung my way, both here and at the Vytal Festival?” Cinder asked while crossing her arms. Was Winter so conceited she never considered her demeanour unpleasant?

“That? You were the one acting all angry and sarcastic,” Winter replied with outrage.

“Only because you,” she pointed a finger at the specialist’s face. “Acted all high and mighty, frowning at me every single second. I thought you hated me for not being of ‘the higher class’”

“I only did that because I thought you were hating me from the beginning. Underestimating me for not being from Beacon,” Cinder’s eyes widened a little, but would still not back down.

“Well, I did not hate you, so… you were wrong,”

“I was not, I was only defending myself,

“No, you weren’t,” At this, Winter let out a long sight, almost as if wanting to suppress something deep inside her.

“Whatever. Just, keep an eye out for students coming from Mistral. Alright?” Cinder did not answer, simply staring Winter in the eye. After a few moments of silence, the specialist turned around.

“Then I guess I’ll say goodbye for tonight. Have a good rest,” As she was leaving however, Cinder stopped her.

“Winter,” she called out.

“What is it?” the specialist asked.

“What made you change your mind? About your sister?” Cinder was genuinely curious about what exactly she had said to convince her to talk to Weiss Schnee.

“Just… I don’t know if she needs me. I hope she doesn’t need me. But I still want to be there for her, if she does. Maybe you should do the same.” The huntress glared at the specialist for a moment. She had not implied she was a bad sister, but it felt like it.

She did not regret leaving for Mistral, not one bit. She did not regret killing Isshin either, but she cursed how that action had made Ruby… distant, lately. She did not want to believe Ruby and Yang needed her in any way, mostly so she could do whatever she wanted without guilt. Yet, here she was, trying her best to be distant.

But, maybe, even if her sister’s didn’t really need her, her presence was good enough. Maybe that was all that they needed. To know she still loved them. Because, deep in her heart, despite not being blood related, she still loved them. They kept her out of that dark hole of cynicism and hate for years, along Tai, Qrow and Summer. Some part of her believed she only loved them as a part of her ‘debt’ to Summer, but maybe that was not the case.

“I guess I will,” With those words, Winter was gone.

Standing alone in the night, Cinder realized she really needed to have a talk to Ruby. A real talk.

* * *

When Yang came back to the dorm, she seemed satisfied. Ruby had asked her sister where Blake was, she said she was still in the library, and to give her some time.

Ruby trusted her sister, but her worry over Blake won in the end. She exited the dorm room under the pretext of grabbing a night snack before curfew. But in reality, she headed towards where the cat faunus was.

She was instrumental to her plan to get out of the dance, but more importantly, she wanted to make sure her teammate was okay. She was the leader, she had to show care towards her fellow huntsmen, it was her duty.

But also, Blake was her friend. The cat faunus had been trough a lot, from what she was told. She could not really understand her struggles and the cynicism resulting from that, but she wanted to. She wanted to give her hope, to see her smile once again.

Thinking of Blake mad her blush, but she shook those thoughts. She was her friend, friends cared for each other deeply; they shared troubles and experiences. They sought each other out, right?

When she arrived on the closing library, she found it mostly dark save for a few warm lights in the ceiling, the barely awake receptionist, and a single computer screen lit some distance. Sitting in front of it, was the B in RWBY.

She trotted towards her, careful not to disturb her, yet she also ran into a table and made a huge sound. Yet Blake did not move an inch or even react, which was odd. She then got closer, and noticed Blake had her head down in her arms, and was breathing calmly and evenly.

She was asleep. In the library, in an unhealthy posture.

“Blake?” Ruby asked, getting closer. Her teammate did not react. “Blake…” she whispered, shaking the sleeping girl a little. She mumbled something, but otherwise did not move.

“Blake. I don’t want to disturb you, but come on, it’s almost curfew,” with another shake, Blake’s eyes blinked a few times before she righted her posture and began to stretch while yawning.

“Ruby? What are you doing here?” asked the cat faunus, looking at her leader with near-closing eyes. Her bags where still there, but at least Blake looked more pleasant.

“I wanted to see… if you were alright.” That was not it. Now it was going to take her an eternity to tell her what she wanted to say.

“I’m fine. I just…”

“Decided to sleep in the library?” Ruby asked.

“Very funny. I was just… so tired, after everything that happened. Talking with Yang, it kind of set me straight,” at the mention of her sister, Ruby remembered what the brawler had set out to do before leaving Weiss alone to her fate of preparing the dance.

“Oh. I see. Well, you certainly look… better,” she said, smiling. It was obviously forced however. Silence lingered between the two.

It was awkward, with Blake looking back at the still lit computer and Ruby going from leaning on her toes to leaning on her ankles.

She didn’t know what to say, anything would be out of place, or at least, she felt that way. Yang had told her ways to break the ice with people, but it sounded dumb in her head.

“So… Wanna head back to the dorm? You may want to sleep some more.” Ruby pointed to the door, and Blake looked once more towards the computer with narrowed eyes. For a moment, the Red Reaper feared her teammate would opt for another sleepless night.

“You know? That sounds like a good idea,” Blake’s tired smile smashed that fear away. Suppressing a squeal of happiness, Ruby began to drag the cat faunus out by the arm.

They bid farewell to the librarian, and set towards their dorm, red dragging black by the arm. The shorter girl was far faster than her friend, to the point Blake was nearly falling to the floor.

“Ok, slow down Ruby. Please,” With an embarrassed yelp, Ruby let go.

“Sorry. I was just kind of happy to see you were back to normal,” she said sheepishly.

“Well, not totally. I still want to stop the White Fang, but… I’ll slow down. At least for now. Relax.” Blake said with a small smile. Returning it, Ruby set fort towards the dorm with Blake in tow. Once they crossed the central plaza towards the dorms, Ruby summoned her courage and decided to ask Blake once and for all.

“So… you planning on going t-to the dance? You probably find it… useless but…” Ruby did her best to not look Blake. She was not good at being rejected. But she could always try again. And again.

“I wasn’t planning to, but your sister told me she’d save me a dance so, better use it. I guess.” hearing that, Ruby grinned and turned around while walking backwards.

“That’s great! Then… do you think…” Ruby stopped, and made her fingers touch while looking away. “… we could go to...gether?”

Her smile was forced and awkward; and Blake’s arched eyebrow and smirk did not help.

“O...kay? I would love to… but… why? I thought you didn’t want to go.” she said, crossing her arms.

“Well, Weiss is kind of forcing me to go. As well as Yang. And while Cinder would help me get out, I really don’t feel like asking her,” Ruby’s expression turned, for the briefest moment, sour, but she managed to smile again. “However, if I go with you, who didn’t want to go, I figured we could just act like we’re there, stand around for a while and then say we’re bored and go back to the dorm. Sounds like a plan, right?” Ruby opened her arms wide, if somewhat awkwardly. Blake chuckled at this display.

“Alright? Yeah sounds like a plan,” Ruby felt relief. Everything had gone well. “But I kind of want to dance, if we’re there already,” Or _was_ going well.

“But I don’t really know how to dance!” whined the red reaper.

“Well, I don’t either. But we can still try.” the cat faunus’ smile was genuine, and it calmed Ruby’s heart for a moment.

“I guess we can. Even if we make fools of ourselves,”

“At least we’ll do it together,” Blake looked at Ruby with amber eyes that betrayed happiness. She had missed those eyes, that smile. What was happening to her?

“Yeah, together,” Smiling again, her anxiety gone, Ruby once again turned around. “Alright, let’s get some sleep.

“Sounds good,” Once again they walked towards their dorms. However, Ruby still had one lingering question.

“So… what did you and Yang talk about?” Ruby asked. It came out of nowhere, that interest in the relationship between her sister and her partner. It was more than curiosity, but the Red Reaper couldn’t place what it was exactly.

“Oh… Umm… She kind of told me to slow down, not let this destroy me, but still keep going. And…” Blake’s trail of thought lingered, and the cat faunus’ ears bent down, as if afraid of continuing.

“And…?” Ruby leaned closer, to hear her friend better. Blake took a deep breath, and spoke.

“She told me about, one time she, you and Cinder went out to look for her mother, her biological mother,” Ruby’s chest grew cold at that memory. She did not remember much, except for the sound of her sister yelling at each other; the sleepiness she felt, and the dark grey skies. But at the time, it felt only like a long trip with her beloved sisters.

“Oh… that. Yeah, it was crazy…” She said, scratching the back of her head.

“I’m so sorry,”

“It’s okay Blake. Really. My mom…” Talking about Summer, she didn’t show it to anyone but, it pained her. She missed her a lot, left a gaping hole in her heart that could not be filled by neither Yang nor Cinder. “She was just great. What else did Yang tell you?”

“She spoke about a fight with Cinder, how she didn’t want her to go but followed anyways, and how Cinder almost got killed defending you two,” Ruby smiled with sadness at that.

“Yeah. Cinder truly is great, isn’t she?” she wanted to believe that. All her memories told her that she was ‘super sis’, yet…

“She’s harsh, and kind of grumpy. But I can tell she loves you.” Blake smiled, but Ruby could not force herself to return it. Her memory of Isshin, being killed by a merciless Cinder. Her sister had spoken an apology, but her face and eyes were cold and hard like steel. Nothing like the person she grew up with. Or maybe she was that person all along. “Ruby? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Everything’s all right. Are _you_ alright?” Blake narrowed her eyes, almost as if she could see trough her attempts to steer the conversation away. The cat faunus stopped abruptly, and Ruby followed suit.

“Ruby… you’re not alright. I can tell,” she spoke softly.

“You’re right. But I can deal with it on my own. So please, don’t worry,” she didn’t want to burden Blake, she already had too much on her mind. But her teammate would not let up.

“Ruby, you are the one who always says ‘we are in this together’. Isn’t it kind of hypocritical to push us away when you are the one having a hard time?” Ruby winced under her hard gaze.

“I… it’s not important. That’s all…”

“Ruby… please,” she felt Blake’s hand land on her shoulder. Was it alright to open up to her? Just this one time? She didn’t have the same kind of closeness with Blake that Yang had. But… maybe she wanted to have that.

“It’s just… it’s Cinder.” she let out her worries with a shaky breath, uncertain of how her teammate would react.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“In the warehouse, she killed Isshin. I saw it.” Blake’s eyes widened for a moment; and something like fear blanketed her features.

“Oh…”

“And… I don’t know how to feel. She’s my super sis, she’s a great huntress, she’s always been there for me and Yang and I love her. But when I think of what she did…” Blake closed the distance between them, taking them face to face.

“Ruby, we’re huntsmen, we sometimes will have to–”

“–I know Blake. I know we sometimes will have to kill someone to protect others. I’m not blind to that, but sill, I can’t help but feel disappointed in Cinder.” Blake looked at her with a sad, understanding expression.

“I know that feeling. You’re disillusioned.” Ruby’s eyes widened.

“How do you know?” At the question, Blake stepped away from her, turning around and hugging herself.

“I used to know someone I admired greatly. He was my mentor, my friend and… Whatever the case, he was my hero. I thought he fought for our cause, but then he began killing, and hurting others for the sake of it. That was when I realized his true nature. Without my fantasy of him clouding my mind, I could really see what a monster he truly was.” Ruby could not believe how much pain Blake had gone trough. She just wanted to run up to her and hug her, and she did just that. She rushed her friend and embraced her from behind, wrapping her arms around the faunus.

“I’m so sorry,” she said into her back. Blake said nothing, opting to gently touch her interlocked hands.

“It’s okay. I doubt he can find me here. But I know what you’re feeling Ruby. You’re not alone,” The Red Reaper felt relief, so much relief at getting all those doubts out of her system, even if not all of them were answered.

“You don’t think… Cinder could turn bad, do you?” Blake said nothing for a moment, and Ruby started to fear her answer.

“I… can’t really say. Cinder is different. But if you’re worried, you should talk to her,” Separating from Blake, both girls looked at each other. Ruby had a determined expression on her face.

“Okay. I’ll talk to her.” At her declaration Blake smiled.

That was all the encouragement she needed.

* * *

Beacon had, in it’s main building, a large workshop. Students where expected to maintain, create, remake, upgrade and check their weapons. A special class, ‘Weapon Maintenance’, ‘Weapon construction’ and others were held there. They had several dark classrooms with several tools, forges, materials and other appliances for weapon making.

If Cinder knew anything, it was that Ruby loved weapons. All sizes and shapes, complex and simple, she appreciated them all. The first time she had shown her ‘Midnight’, the little girl had squealed in delight, showering her with questions about it’s efficiency and construction. That joy and glee appeared again when she showed her the newly built Crescent Rose, who Cinder thought was too big for her, but the way Ruby wielded it was phenomenal and beautiful. Like a petal flying in the wind.

Her sister was a true weapon nerd, and when bothered, always relied on cleaning and maintaining ‘her baby’. So she figured her best chance at finding her little step sister was to search the workshop. Luckily for her, Ruby was one of the only few who would spent the free day of the week holed up in the forge.

And there she found her, on a table, tinkering with precision tools on the barrel of her oversized scythe, eyes covered by safety googles.

“Ruby,” she spoke loud and clear, enough for the girl in the nearly dark room to look at her in surprise.

“Hey, sis,” she said, without much energy. The girl in red lifted her googles as the huntress sat beside her.

Cinder crossed her arms, looking at her sister, who returned her stare with one of confusion and awkwardness.

She had prepared everything she was going to say, but now that she had to do it, she found herself lost for words. She hadn’t done anything wrong killing Isshin. She wasn’t going to apologize for it, only explain it to Ruby. But she had to do it in a convincing manner. Yet, she also didn’t want to lose her sister’s appreciation.

“So… pretty hot in here, huh? With the forge and all…” said the small girl. Cinder nodded at her statement. It was hot, and kind of cramped.

“Agreed. But I’ve had worse.” said Cinder.

“Really?” Ruby arched an eyebrow.

“Yes. We were in Mistral, and a huge quake came over. A mountain was infested with centinels, and it caused a huge crack to open and spew lava everywhere. The entire forest was on fire. But we pulled trough, like always.”

“With your team?” Ruby was showing far less interest than she expected, which was weird. The Red Reaper always listened to huntsmen stories intently, since she was a child.

“Yes. My team.” She ended that thought there.

“You never talk about them,”

“I’ve only been here a month, Ruby. Not much time to delve deep into my past.” She told her, somewhat harshly. She really didn’t feel like bringing up those memories. What happened, happened.

“Okay,” with that, the girl turned around to tend to Crescent Rose. Another unusual behaviour. Cinder tired of this dancing around.

“Ruby, tell me what’s wrong. You’ve been avoiding me.” There, she said it. Since the warehouse incident, the Red Reaper had been quiet in her classes, handed her papers with haste, and didn’t even try to cross paths with her sister. She didn’t care for it, but she wanted to know if the girl was having this problem with others.

Ruby stopped her maintenance once again, and fidgeted awkwardly.

“You don’t have to worry about me,” the girl’s tone was low, which was also unusual.

“But I do. I’m…” _your_ _sister._ “…concerned about you. So, spill it out before it becomes a problem.” the girl said nothing, looking at her weapon intently. “Is this about Isshin?”

“No,”

“Then what? That I killed?” this time, Ruby turned to her with a mild look of irritation.

“No. I’m not five anymore sis, I know that as huntsmen we have to kill to protect others. I’ve known that for a long time. Uncle Qrow was very clear about it. It’s about you,” she said. Cinder raised an eyebrow.

“Me?”

“Yes. I’m concerned about you.” Ruby told her, raising her voice.

“Because I killed?” she countered.

“Because of how you did it!” Ruby nearly shouted this time, which almost made Cinder flinch. “You didn’t hesitate, at all. I don’t think you felt anything at all. You were so… cold.” Slowly, Ruby’s voice fell in tone, and Cinder was left with a cold sensation on her chest. “That isn’t the Cinder I know.” The Cinder she knew. The one that played, cooked, fought Grimm and took her on ‘adventures’ along with Yang. She had been that girl for a time, but mostly because Yang, Ruby and Tai needed her. She had enjoyed it, those were happy memories.

“Well, that is me now.” she answered, somewhat coldly. Ruby turned around, face strained. It hurt, looking at her sister’s saddened face.

“You’ve killed before, haven’t you?” Cinder’s eyes widened, but in the end decided to be honest, for the sake of her sister.

“Yes.” Ruby turned around, fixing her with those mesmerizing silver eyes. Her gaze was stern, almost as if judging her. But also, concerned.

“And you had to do it, right? They left you no choice?” Cinder had killed bandits, criminals and terrorists in Mistral. She was sure all of them would have killed her. Except…

The Madame and her daughters. They were evil, they deserved it. But… they would not have killed her. They did not have aura, and she did. That night, they were not a physical threat, once she got the collar out. Yet, she killed them anyways. She enjoyed snapping the madame’s neck, slashing her sisters apart. She relished in her newfound freedom. Until Rhodes came in, and saw the horror show.

But that was something Ruby would never know.

“Of course.” She answered, lying with a straight face. Ruby looked at her in the eye, as if searching for something amiss, but then relaxed.

“Okay.” she turned back, not saying anything else. But Cinder had to make sure, make sure there were no doubts.

“Ruby,” she grabbed her shoulders as she kneeled in front of her. “I know I’m not… the person you want or expect me to be, but, I’m not going to stop caring about you. Never. I’m… sorry I left so suddenly. I won’t do it again.” she saw Ruby’s expression turn into one of surprise, and then her eyes watered. Admitting fault was not something Cinder did regularly, so it was a relief to see it had some positive effect to do it.

“Promise?” Her sister asked, half smiling.

“Promise.” She answered. Suddenly, Ruby lunged forward and wrapped her in a tight hug.

“I love you. You’re still the best sister ever.” Hearing her words, Cinder returned the embrace. For some reason, her eyes stung with happiness.

* * *

Emerald paced around the room. Their dorm was big, courtesy of being a team of two who ‘lost their fellow team members’, which automatically removed two beds. Yet the green haired girl used the space only to be annoyingly anxious.

“Can you please stop? You need to enjoy yourself.” Mercury said from his own bed. His partner turned her garnet eyes to him in anger.

“I’m tired of this. All we do is attend useless classes, fight some scrubs, and do nothing.” Mercury sighed. How petulant could someone be?

“You really don’t know anything about infiltration. You need to be patient.”

“While that bitch does whatever she wants with her ‘friends’? She’s supposed to be calling us.” After saying this, her scroll rung. Mercury smirked at her terrified expression. “You don’t think she heard me, did you?”

“If she did, it would be hilarious,” he grinned even more at her expression. Emerald picked up the call.

“Yes?” on the other side, she could hear the voice of a young woman.

“ _Tomorrow.”_

“ _Tomorrow? What about the dance?”_

“ _You are going, aren’t you?”_

“ _Yes, but… if we disappear…”_

“ _You have your semblance, don’t you? Make sure you and Mercury are there,”_ from the other side of the room, Mercury grinned. Poor Emerald was being sidelined.

“ _What about you?”_

“ _I’ve got my own escapade. Besides, if I’m missing for a few seconds, no one will suspect a thing.”_

“ _Alright. Were do we meet?”_

“ _CCT tower, after the slow song. You’ll know the one. The mistress will be pleased.”_

“ _Of course. W-We got this.”_ Without a word, the line was hung.

“And here I thought she was courteous.” said Mercury, getting up and stretching.

“Going somewhere?” Emerald asked.

“I need a suit. And you need a dress, or a suit too if that’s your fancy.” With a glare, Emerald followed him to the exit.

“I’ll take a suit.”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright! Next chapter, the Beacon Dance and CCT infiltration. Sorry it took so long to upload, I was dealing with some stuff. I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> Also, Dark and Witch were da bomb. I loved them, and loved the dialogue between Ruby and Blake. They have some good chemistry for me, which is why I love writing them. That is all for now. Comment any dislikes or likes. Chiao!


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